


A Cherished Mess

by Sinful_Monsters



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dubious Consent, Eventual Smut, Horror Elements, Kaon is trying his best, Other, Porn with too much plot, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Stockholm Syndrome, The Chair has never played a dating sim
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2020-12-31 18:24:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 59,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21150185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinful_Monsters/pseuds/Sinful_Monsters
Summary: You're the last member of a Decepticon battalion, left for dead on a war torn world.  Damaged and without a supply of energon, your only hope lies with an outdated emergency beacon; desperately sending out distress signals across the airwaves.  For better, or worse, rescue comes from the most unexpected of places.[[New Chapter Every Month]]





	1. The Wayward Castaway

**Author's Note:**

> [Kaon x Bot! Reader Fic]  
This is my first time trying to write fan fiction, so I apologize for any roughness!  
Please be mindful of the chapter warnings. It's the DJD so things are bound to be a bit dark / creepy.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Light Body Horror | Medical Trauma  


How long had it been? Your processor struggled to calculate the hazy thought as the unrelenting noontide sun beat down on your worn frame. It had been another unsuccessful day of scavenging for energon on this forsaken planet. The ravages of war had left the once-bustling Decepticon outpost in ruins. There was nothing left here… Nothing and no one but you.

“At… At least a hundred stellar cycles.” You spoke out loud to yourself as you limped back to your ramshackle shelter to seek refuge from the brutal heat.

It wasn’t much. The meagre shed had been amateurishly constructed out of scrap metal and draped in a thick organic cloth that formed both its roof and door. Inside was a small berth that laid low to the ground and was surrounded by organized boxes of miscellaneous machinery. A modest table sat in front of the berth and atop its surface was an out-dated communication array haphazardly connected to a string of batteries. There was a faint rhythmic chime that filled the air as a small red light blinked on the device.

“Still working… Good.” The thoughts spilled from your lips once more.

Was it working though? It had been sending out a distress signal for cycles and no one had come to your aid. Hell, even an Autobot ship would be a godsend to end your misery at this point… The idea of that put a wry smirk on your face as you reclined on the berth to rest and tried to shake off the pangs of hunger emanating from your empty tank. There was no energon. You couldn’t remember the last time you had good, clean, fuel that wasn’t unceremoniously siphoned and now your wells had run dry. Stasis was an inevitable future that you’d rather not think about.

Your smirk rotted into a grimace as you caught sight of your reflection in the polished metal of the wall across from the berth. A wreck would be an understatement… It was a miracle you had survived at all, let alone for this long. The whole right side of your frame looked like it had been skidded across the pavement, shredding your tires and robbing you of an arm and a wing. Your cheek plating was cracked from the impact and your right optic had been lost as well. A prickle of vanity gnawed at your frame and you had to look away. With a deep sigh, you shut your remaining optic and attempted to drift off into recharge; lulled to sleep by the looping metronome of beeps from your locator device.

The cycles began to blur together as you tossed and turned on your uncomfortable berth when a shrill resonance suddenly pierced through the once quiet air. Your audials stung as you jolted upright in a momentary state of panic. Were you dreaming? Gasping deeply, you barely had time to regain your composure before the sound rang off again.

“What the...” You choked, instinctively ducking for cover under the table though it was hardly large enough to conceal your frame.

Were you being attacked? You had nothing to defend yourself with, nor the energy to do so… Once more the cry bellowed out, sounding as if it was coming from directly above you. Any bit of trepidation you had felt was instantly washed away upon realizing the source of the sound… It was coming from the communicator! In a frenzy, you struggled to right yourself and clamoured to the top of the table. Your engine ran hot with excitement as you caught sight of the device’s light blinking an unheard of green hue. Someone had picked up your distress signal and was trying to communicate on your frequency. Without further thought, you hastily smashed the pick up button, activating the communication channel.

“H-hello!” The word was sheepish and hoarse as you blurted it out.

There wasn’t an immediate reply, although you could hear background shuffling on the other end of the line. You could have sworn you heard voices as well, but they were too far away to properly make out. Hope was slowly dragged from your spark as the nano-kliks ticked by without a response. The stupid contraption was broken… They couldn’t hear you…

The line sparked with a pop of static before falling silent.

“Hello.” A voice spoke with shocking fidelity from the other end of the line.

The communicator tried to launch a holo-video with the call, but it jittered violently and failed to load anything beyond scattered streaks of blue light. You stammered intelligibly for a moment. Your spark was racing with an odd mixture of joy and fear… It didn’t matter if they were friend or foe, you were just so happy to hear another voice.

“Hello? Are you still there? We’ll be in your sector shortly.” They called out again, speaking in a calm tone that paid no mind to the urgency of your situation.

“Yes, I’m here! Um…” You proceeded to blurt out your coordinates, name and ranking without considering the allegiance of your potential rescuer.

“Oh! I had no idea there was anyone left on that planet. Interesting… Please be ready in approximately four cycles.” And with that the line clicked off.

They didn’t even give you a chance to reply before hanging up. It seemed a bit suspicious. Four cycles… That’s all you had left on this wretched, dead, world but now you began to dread what potentially laid beyond that. Timidly, you glanced at yourself in the mirrored metal of your shelter. Emblazoned on your chest was the bright purple mark of the Decepticon cause, though it had been marred from years of going without a proper paint job. With a nervous squeak, you tried to scratch the paint with one of your servos, but it wouldn’t chip off. You bit down on your lip… You had told the unknown signal recipient your ranking as well, which would have given away whom you had been fighting for.

“Scrap…” You cursed under your breath. “Please don’t be Autobots.”

The last four cycles had felt like an eternity as dawn began to paint a warm purple sky across the planet’s atmosphere. There was nothing to take from this desolate place that had once taken so much from you. Exhausted, you sat outside and kept your optic focused on the clouds above.

An inky blotch emerged on the horizon as it ducked out from under the cover of clouds. Its jagged silhouette grew larger as the ship encroached upon your position. The craft was a menacing arrow made up of sharp curves that built up a brutal and weapon-like airframe. It should have been an unsettling sight, but the vessel donned a welcoming wine hue that put your spark at ease; it was a Decepticon ship. The craft roared overhead as it came to rest a short distance from your position. Once the dust settled, a gangway extended from the ship and a looming figure emerged.

You had no idea if they had spotted you yet. Without a further thought you gathered the remainder of your energy and sprinted off towards them, though it was more of a swift hobble than an actual run; it was all you could muster in your current state. Whoever they were, they didn’t seem to be threatened by your presence and took casual steps forward to meet you. A deep feeling of unease soon erased your eagerness as you drew closer.

Your saviour was a massive mech, sporting a vehement violet paint job that was accented by fuchsia bio lighting. He had wide, treaded, shoulders and was armed with an imposing cannon. Everything about the tank was excessive and screamed Decepticon, down to the mask that obscured his visage and looked all too similar to the brand of the regime. You might have chuckled at his zealous appearance, had he not been heavily armed and nearly double your height.

“I-I’m so glad you came! T-t-hank you!” You couldn’t form a proper response as the sheepish words crackled from your dry intake.

He didn’t speak a single word as he moved closer to you and crouched down so his optics were level with yours; piercing crimson lights that burned with sinister intensity. You were entranced and terrified but didn’t dare look away. There was something awful lurking behind those eyes as the mech observed you with bitter scrutiny.

“Are you a triple changer?” His voice was richly dark, every syllable he spoke resonated deeply within your spark and chilled you to the core.

You blinked in confusion, caught off guard by his odd question. He didn’t even ask how you were, or if there were others with you or anything that would make sense in this scenario… Just a blunt enquiry, stirred by your patchwork of alt mode kibble.

“Ahahaha, yes I am. Why?” You questioned back to him, wondering why such a thing would even matter.

“Can you still transform?” He narrowed his gaze into an unsympathetic glare.

A quiver of fear coursed up your spinal strut. You hadn’t tried to use either of your alts in cycles, especially not in your damaged state.

“I think so-” You didn’t even have time to make up an excuse.

“Show me.” He heartlessly commanded.

It was difficult to keep your composure, and you hoped dearly that your trembling wasn’t as visible as it felt across your ragged frame. Taking a deep intake of air, you tried to calm down and stepped back to provide some space between the callous tank and yourself. Could you even transform? You barely had the energy to stand, let alone try something like that. Glancing back at the mech, their searing impatience growing within his fiery optics with each precious second of his time that you wasted.

One more intake… Dread threatened to snuff out your spark as your t-cog kicked into gear. Your joints creaked and burned in unimaginable agony as your shape contorted; shuddering into a mangled automotive frame. You wanted to cry out but your vocalizer could only choke out a static hiss.

“...And the other one.” There was no mercy from the mech.

Your audials crackled, barely making sense of his words as your processor was clouded with anguish. You couldn’t bear to do it again. Honestly, at this point, you would have been happily left for dead in this wretched configuration than transform once more. The hum of your engine fell silent as you remained motionless…

No. You couldn’t give up just yet. After all the time you spent alone, there was no way you would let it end like this. Focusing your energy, your t-cog spun to life once more and reformatted your chassis into a sleek flying alt. Far from airworthy, your lack of a wing caused you to topple over onto your right side and lay like a pathetic wreck in front of the mech. Every inch of your frame ached from your splurge of activity.

The mech softly chuckled at your sorry state, as if he gained some sick sense of pleasure from your suffering. Something tripped your proximity sensors as he drew closer… Your visual field was completely offline and in a panic you felt your t-cog click one final time, reverting to your robot mode as you hit the hard ground in an exhausted heap. Out of the corner of your optic, you spied the violet tank’s looming servo turn from a vicious grab to a helpful hand. You didn’t want to think about what he might have done had you stayed in your alt mode…

“Good. Looks like you’re still in working order.” Any prior malice had left the mech’s voice as he helped you back onto your feet. “Come now.”

You barely had enough energy to walk, but the mech was quick to take notice and allowed you to lean into him for support as the two of you trekked back to the ship.

Overwhelming relief washed over you as you entered the spacecraft. The interior was clean and well lit, though a lingering scent of fresh energon drifted in the air. It was impossible to discern if it was coming from a med bay or a rations storage area… This lack of clarity made you feel ill as your empty tank churned with hunger.

“Running on fumes, are we? You’ll get your fill once you’re patched up.” The larger mech commented, giving you a hefty pat on the shoulder that nearly knocked you over.

“Y-yeah… I haven’t had proper rations in a really long time.” You found yourself whining and quickly fell silent with embarrassment.

He didn’t share your sentiment. He was eerily quiet the whole time as he led you down the corridors of the ship. This wasn’t the hospitality you’d expect from a fellow Decepticon. A thin smile curled on your lips as you shyly introduced yourself and asked the mech’s name in a feeble attempt to alleviate the tension.

“Tarn.” He curtly answered with his name, paying no attention to your introduction as he paused in front of an imposing door.

Again the air fell silent while the mech entered a passcode on the gateway. A soft ping chimed as the door slid open; retreating into the wall of the ship. Beyond the aperture was an impressive repair theatre lined with three medical berths and various surgical machinery. It was clean and tidy, but patchy pink stains marred the steely floor. You grimaced and averted your optic only to catch sight of a strange bot that had been idly waiting in the corner of the room.

It was a thin mech with a drab navy paint job. Despite only standing a few inches taller than you, there was something deeply unsettling about his serpentine movements. With his faceplate up, the mech’s disturbing curiosity was only broadcast by his malicious scarlet optics as they darted around your frame. He reached a gaunt servo to touch your chin as he drew his face closer to yours, squinting his gaze as his processor was left to ponder.

“ ̵͡҉ ̨҉ ̡ ҉͏̕ ͢҉ ̵̸̨͘͢ ̧͏ ͠ ͘͢͟͞͡ ̢͞ ̡̛̕͢ ͜ ̧̨͜ ̛͢͜͏ ͘͢͢͠!” He squawked in a bygone language at the larger bot, releasing his grasp on you and making a fuming hand gesture to go along with his words.

“Don’t be so rude, Vos.” Tarn chided his smaller compatriot. “They’re not in that bad of shape.”

Vos, as he was called, rubbed his temple and shook his helm. His vocalizer muttered something unintelligible while he scurried back to the medical berth and patted its surface. There was a cheeky gleam that danced in his optics as he continued to comically beckon you to come lay down.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Let the good doctor fix you up.” There was a smile to Tarn’s voice though his mask remained expressionless.

None of this felt right… The large mech gently pushed you forward and barred any exit as the doorway closed behind him. Even if you did manage to get away, in your damaged state you’d barely be able to put up a fight. Your processor was awash with panic as you shakily trekked forward. A quick glance at the ‘doctor’ made your spark sink deep into your chest and you didn’t dare look at him again as you sat on the berth. He wasn’t a doctor…

“Now now… There’s no reason to be afraid. Vos is very good at what he does.” Tarn followed you to the berth, leaving no avenue of escape as he encroached on your personal space.

There was something to the tank mech’s voice. It was almost intoxicating… You tried to shake his words out of your audials but your processor became cloudy. You didn’t need to worry… There was nothing to be afraid of… Despite the warning signs, you felt oddly calmed by the aural anesthetic and failed to notice that the duo had begun to strap you into the surgical cot. Internally, your mind was racing with fear but you couldn’t muster the strength to act on your panicking thoughts. Your lips feebly fell open, but nothing escaped your vocalizer.

“Triple changers are quite unique. Their t-cogs are far more robust than a normal bot’s. I haven’t had one in such a long time.” Tarn monologued as he drew the sharp tip of his servo across the left side of your chest; carving a circle in your blemished paint job.

Your optic grew wide with terror, but still, you couldn’t move an inch of your frame. Choked static garbled from your intake as your mind trembled. A shrill whirring noise erupted from the other side of the berth as Vos readied some kind of instrument. With a grimace you willingly offlined your vision, not wanting to see what horrors awaited you. In the darkness, it felt like an eternity had passed and all the sounds in the room had deafened into nothingness… Only the searing agony of a cutter against your chest brought you back to reality. Energon surged haphazardly from the wound and coated your frame in a sickening warmth.

You were going to die. After all of this, you were going to die. It was foolish of you to think that you were worth any more than the value of your parts. As grim thoughts flooded your processor you didn’t even notice that you had managed to crack a series of pitiful screams from your vocalizer. The racket only fell on deaf audials and didn’t elicit sympathy from either of the two monsters.

“Ah, such noise! I didn’t know we turned the med bay into an interrogation room! Nickel isn’t going to be too happy when she comes back and finds the mess you made.” A third voice had entered the surgical theatre.

They were oddly jovial despite the carnage, as if it was an everyday occurrence. Something about them ticked your processor alight in your numbed state. They were familiar… You recognized the voice. It was the mech that had originally picked up your distress signal. Fleeting thoughts crossed your mind but you couldn’t act upon any of them. The intrusion of the newcomer made the others pause briefly while they had an exchange of words that only registered as garbled noise on your failing audials. You were detached from pain as you felt your spark flicker dangerously.

A sensation brushed up against your right cheek, surveying its damaged surface and cradling it gently. Their servos were smooth and radiated with a tingling warmth that held no malice. Out of instinct, you burrowed your cheek against their hand; trying to leech out any form of comfort as your consciousness slipped away.


	2. Troubled Hospitality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By some stroke of a miracle, you had survived your grim surgery only to have garnered the attention of a peculiar mech. Distraught from your prior experience aboard the Peaceful Tyranny, you find it difficult to trust Kaon despite his attempts to be friendly towards you which is only further hindered by his fickle demeanor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaha? Two weeks? Apparently, I was joking. Here's the second chapter. Things will be bi-weekly from here on out, but I wanted get some chair interaction in because there was basically nothing in the first chapter.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Implied Rape Mention

You awoke sore and shrouded in darkness; aching but alive. Shaking your helm in disbelief, you wondered if the nightmarish events that had played out cycles prior had actually happened. A dull throbbing pain brought you back to reality as your servos traced over an unsightly strip of living metal that had been riveted to your chest. Torn up and hollow, it was a heartless patch job mending the void left by removing your t-cog. There was tightness on the right side of your frame where more patches had been applied to cover up your injuries. Everything had been done in haste and without proper care… You knew that bot wasn’t a doctor.

With a sigh of relief, you brought yourself into a sitting position on the medical berth. The only restraint came from an intravenous line in your arm that was flushing your system with a transfusion of energon. Despite your tank remaining empty, you felt oddly refreshed. Curiously, your optic scanned the dark room only to be greeted by the dim display lights of the medical equipment that surrounded you. You were alone, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching you…

“Oh, good! I was starting to get worried that you wouldn’t come out of recharge.” A voice emanated from the inky darkness to your right.

A shiver jolted up your spinal strut. Just what kind of weirdo watched over an injured bot in the dark? Honestly, you probably didn’t want to know the answer to that question but you took some solace in the fact that the voice didn’t belong to either Tarn or Vos. Weakly, you tried to reach your servo out into shadows only to get pulled back by the sharp tension from your transfusion line.

“Ah, don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself and make quite a mess if you pull the line out.” They scolded, placing their servo against yours and gently guiding it back to your side.

The softness of their touch felt almost alien after the brutality you had experienced. It was difficult to see their compassion towards you as anything more than a facade. You couldn’t bring yourself to trust anyone on this wretched ship, though for a brief moment you felt at ease before your mind began to race again. The other bot was so close to you, yet you couldn’t see the glow of their optics. It was unsettling…

“Um, can you please turn on the lights? It'd be better if I could actually _see_ things...” You squeaked, choking back your trepidation.

They chuckled at your request. You could hear them get up and trek across the room as their rosy biolights faded from view before the surgical theatre became washed in bright fluorescents. You grimaced and squinted your optic as you waited for your vision to adjust.

“I’m sorry.” The crimson mech apologized and turned back to you with a kind smile “I always forget to turn the lights on.”

His paint scheme didn’t seem befitting of a Decepticon. The bulk of his frame was a regal sanguine hue interspersed with gilded gold accents. You couldn’t help but stare at the mech as you tried to guess at what his alt mode was. Most of his chest plating was consumed by the circular turbine while tank-like treads made up the lower portion of his legs. His rounded shoulder pauldrons were topped with Tesla coils that seemed out of place. Maybe he was a triple changer too? You weren’t on friendly enough terms to ask. The mech might have almost been considered handsome, had it not been for one glaring issue... He didn’t have optics. There was nothing in their place, leaving you to stare at murky, soulless sockets; he didn’t have the courtesy to wear a visor.

“You’ll have to excuse my colleagues' rough treatment. Tarn’s a bit of a t-cog connoisseur. Though if you want to think positively, you can just consider it a favour for bringing you aboard… And well, Vos is just Vos.” His tone was eerily upbeat despite the implications of his words as he reclaimed his seat next to your berth “As for me, I’m the ship’s communications officer. You talked to me when we first picked up your distress signal, remember? My name’s Kaon.”

You shyly told him your name in return before sitting in dumbfounded silence, unable to maintain optic contact with the blind mech’s inky hollows. Your frame was slightly trembling and it didn’t go unnoticed, much to your dismay.

“Are you scared? There’s nothing to be afraid of. I have no desire to hurt you. ” His words were calm but it was impossible to find any honesty in them; it felt like he was talking down to an animal.

“You’re sure about that?” You piped up, each word was dripping with sarcasm and you wanted to eat them all back once you realized how terrible you sounded.

“As certain as I can be. Especially after all the trouble I went through to save your aft. You might just be a t-cog to Tarn, but you’re no good to me if you’re dead.” Again his dark humour was showing and it made you uneasy.

“I’m s-sorry. That came out wrong.” You tried to eat your words back but it was too late.

A loud beep from one of the medical devices broke the conversation. Kaon didn’t say another word as he turned his attention to the energon transfusion machine and fiddled with the buttons. You bit your lip as you watched the blind bot, fearing he didn’t have the slightest idea of what he was doing.

“Why are you making such a sour face?” He smirked glancing over at you while he shut down the device.

You stammered, unable to properly vocalize your thoughts. How did he see that? How did he see anything? Kaon’s soft laughter sounded mildly menacing as he loomed over you to remove your energon line. You winced and clenched your optic shut, but it only felt like a slight pinch as the tubing was taken out. After a deep vent, you opened your optic only to see that he was ‘staring’ at you mere inches away. A pitiful startled yelp squeaked from your vocalizer as your engine kicked into high gear, causing you to gasp for air.

“For someone that was on the front lines, you’re quite jumpy… But I think I know what the issue is…” Kaon teased at your terrors.

He smiled gently then closed his optics; cloaking his abyssal sockets with some semblance of normalcy. The mech kept them shut while he stood back and crossed his arms over his chest, huffing exaggeratedly as if his ego had been deeply wounded. Kaon couldn’t keep the act up for more than a nano-klik.

“Normally, I’d take your fear as a compliment but it’s rude to be so unnerved by a mech’s appearance... Considering you’re halfway there yourself.” He finished with a cheeky wink, mirroring the fact that you were missing an optic.

Kaon offered a servo to help you off the berth, which you apprehensively accepted. Your pedes were unsteady after all the stress you’d been through. Straightening your spinal strut to stand tall, you were met with the grim reality of how much shorter you were than the crimson mech. He was no towering Tarn, but the top of your helm barely reached the spinner of the turbine in the middle of his chest. Kaon didn’t let go of your servo as he casually led you out of the med bay and back into the ship. You didn’t bother to ask where you were going, nothing would have been able to top the level of atrocity you experienced in the surgical theatre.

\---

“You’re awfully quiet. Are you alright?” Kaon tried to engage in some friendly banter to break the silence.

Alright? No, not in the slightest but you wouldn’t tell him that. Unconsciously, you tightened your grip on his servo and averted your gaze.

“I’m ok… S-sorry if I’m acting weird, I haven’t really had anyone to talk to in a long time. I was the only one left at that outpost...” You tried to bite your lip to hold back your emotions but you could feel lubricants welling by your optics.

Kaon paused his step and turned to face you. He probably would have held your other servo had you not been missing an arm. Instead, he placed his digits on your shoulder and gave you a comforting pat.

“Autobots can be quite nasty. You’ve been through a lot, but you’ll feel better once you’ve cleaned up a bit and have some energon in your tank.” His words were full of spirited vigour as the coils on his shoulders arced with electrical current.

You cracked a smile at his enthusiastic zeal. Tingling static prickled against your frame from being so close to the voltaic mech but the offer of a wash and some rations were enough to brighten your mood for the moment. After being alone for so long, and in such a state of disrepair, washing wasn’t something that had crossed your processor in stellar cycles. A deep blush of embarrassment painted your cheek plates. Covered in years of grime, you were most certainly fouler than a Junkion that had been rolling around in a dump. You couldn’t smell any obnoxious aroma, but you had probably grown used to it… Your vanity went into overdrive, drowning out the pangs of hunger from your empty tank; your priority had been set.

“Where’s the wash rack?” You feverishly demanded.

“Wouldn’t you rather have something in your tank first?” Kaon retorted, raising a brow in question at your sudden shift in demeanour.

“No… I feel kinda gross. I’d just like to clean off, please. We can eat later.” Your pleas were drenched in desperation.

Kaon’s normally confident smirk contorted into a sullen look. He was confused but didn’t question your resolve. Evidently, he didn’t seem to think you were as filthy as you thought.

After traversing through a maze of halls, the electric mech brought you to an odd entryway. There was no door. A partition wall was placed inside in such a way that it allowed someone to walk in without those outside being able to take a peek. The air felt invitingly warm and smelled of soapy solvents. You didn’t bother asking for permission and bolted past the dividing wall.

“Ahhh! Wait! What if someone is in there?!” Kaon gasped fretfully and ran in after you.

Thankfully, the wash rack was empty. Whoever had been using it had left recently since the water under your pedes was still hot to touch. You were momentarily awestruck by the size of the room. The ceilings loomed far overhead providing easy accommodation for larger mechs while countless outlets and handheld pressure washers lined the walls. At the far end of the wash rack sat a cozy oil bath sectioned off by a split-screen to provide some reprieve in the open room.

In your fervour, you hadn’t noticed Kaon follow you in. Hastily, you wrapped your grubby servo around the dial for the nearest shower and cranked it on. Hot… The water was almost scalding as it washed over your ragged frame. It stung against your wounds but felt liberating while you watched the mire slink down the drain. You didn’t move at all until the water ran clear. With a hefty sigh, you stepped back to take a break from the swelter.

“...It might be more effective if you used some soap.” The uninvited mech chimed up.

You visibly cringed at his presence but made sure to erase any hint of your annoyance before turning to face him. Kaon was unfazed by the lack of privacy in the open room and stood only a few paces behind you with a bottle of soap and a sponge brush in his hands. Perhaps he could sense your discomfort… Sheepishly he handed you the cleaning supplies and ambled to the other side of the wash rack. A sting of nervousness paralyzed your frame as you heard him turn on the shower. He didn’t care that you shared the same space as him for such a private act. The embarrassing situation was only amplified by the potential danger it presented. Was it even safe for Kaon to be around water? You didn’t want to find out… Swiftly you finished washing and reached for the nearest towel before retreating into the entryway while you waited for Kaon to finish up. Cautiously, you kept your small frame concealed against the wall; fearful that the other shipmates could come down the hall at any moment.

“Haha! Did you think I was going to zap you in there?” Kaon spoke with an exaggerated expression of dismay as he rounded the corner and robbed you of your towel; drying himself with the cloth before casually draping it around his neck cabling.

“Hmm? No, not at all… But now that you mention it…” You thought you were fibbing expertly but the mech cut you off.

Kaon pivoted around you; his hallows narrowed scornfully. He placed a digit between your optics and tapped it on your nasal ridge in a condescending manner. It stung slightly and you sniffled in response.

“Tsk tsk. I’m quite good at weeding out lies, don’t test me.” The first half of Kaon’s words held a lingering threat that ominously clashed with his peppy followup. “Just because we’re Decepticons, doesn’t mean we have to deceive each other. Please be honest with me, ok?”

You hadn’t expected Kaon to get so ticked off over such a simple diversion. His sudden sinister shift in demeanour made your spark feel tight with apprehension, and yet he had flipped back to being jovial in under a nano-klik. You felt uneasy around him, unsure if Kaon’s affable nature was just a masquerade to lure you into a false sense of security or if he had deeper underlying trust issues… Or maybe both.

“I’m sorry.” You winced in repentance “I won’t do it again, I promise.”

“Good! That’s what I like to hear.” Kaon smirked and moved his servo to softly pat the top of your helm in a misguided attempt to comfort you.

An inaudible sigh left your intake. You felt like a hostage aboard this ship and were at the mercy of such savage company.

\---

The evening drifted by with little excitement. You largely kept to yourself and only engaged in small talk with Kaon. This disappointed the electric mech to no end as he tried to pry anything he could from your processor. His curiosity was borderline invasive considering you’d barely known him for more than a few cycles. Despite the awkward silence, he was more than happy to serve you up more energon than you could possibly consume. Part of you had hoped for some high grade to ease your mind after such a rough day, but the mech abstained from providing you with such luxury. It was probably for the best, considering your circumstances.

With a full tank, you were more than ready to drift off into recharge. You weren’t expecting the hospitality of a guest suite and would have happily crashed on the floor if you’d been given the option. Kaon had other accommodations in mind as he trekked off to another part of the ship.

“Can I ask you something?” You quietly peeped while you walked, leaning the mangled right side of your frame against the mech for support as you struggled to stay awake.

“Hmm? Of course.” He replied, sporting a tired smile.

“How… How do you see anything? If I close my optic, it’s dark and I can’t see scrap… How do you do it?” Your words began to ramble into one another in your sleep-deprived state.

“It’s a secret.” Kaon smirked coyly bringing the tip of his digit to his lip as if to hush himself while static danced around the voltaic coils on his shoulders.

You were too groggy to press him further, but he had confirmed your suspicions that his knack for electricity had something to do with it.

“That’s cheating.” You scoffed, eliciting a chuckle from the mech.

“We’re here.” He chimed up, rousing you from your sleepy state.

You hadn’t been paying enough attention to realize where you were going and stared listlessly at the habsuite door in front of you.

“Wait… You actually have guest rooms on this thing?” You mumbled.

“Oh, no no. This is my habsuite.” Kaon responded casually, caring little about the unsavoury implications of your accommodation.

Your frame shuddered upon hearing those words as your processor swirled with the darkest of conclusions. Such thoughts brought a fragile blush to your cheek plates as your cooling fans sparked to life with an audible click. Terrified and embarrassed, you tried to calm yourself down but a crackled squeak from your vocalizer betrayed you.

Kaon politely held back a chuckle, trying his hardest not to gain an ounce of amusement from your despair. His face was timidly flushed as he patted you on the shoulder.

“Pfft! Get your processor out of the gutter. I have a sofa in there, we don’t need to share the berth.” The crimson mech grinned in good humour.

“Besides...” Kaon’s tone became hushed and sinful out as he leaned down to draw you in closer and whisper wickedly into your audial “If I wanted to frag you that badly, I could have easily taken you earlier.”

The energon flowing through your lines ran hot despite how hard your fans were working to vent your system. A queasy feeling overtook your tank and it felt like you were on the verge of expelling its contents. You’d like to believe there was only absolute dread gripping your mind but a vulgar warmth persisted and you hated yourself for it.

He was smiling again as if he didn’t just allow such vile things to escape his lips. A part of you hoped Kaon was just teasing at your insecurities in the worst way possible, but you couldn’t let your guard down. The mech stepped away from you to punch in a code on the lock panel next to the habsuite’s door, leaving you alone in front of the gateway. Your spark grew alight with fleeting panic as you contemplated making a run for it. This was your only chance… Your pedes twitched in anticipation as the actuators in your legs fired up with searing adrenaline. Without further thought, you glanced down the hall and made a clumsy sprint for freedom.

You had barely even lifted your pedes as your frame crashed violently to the ground. Had you slipped in your feeble attempt to flee? No... There was a crushing weight on your chest as steely nails gripped into the seams of your plating. A low, bestial, growl hissed against your audials; coating your faceplate in disgustingly warm lubricant. In utter horror, you opened your optic only to spy a muzzle full of razor-sharp denta hovering precariously above you.

“Don’t scream. Sparkeaters feed off of fear.” Kaon warned severely but did nothing to pull the beast off of you.

“W-w-what? Why the hell do you ha-” Your words dropped to a diminutive whimper as the monster drew its maw closer.

You had no way of fighting it off in your injured state. Wincing, you shut your optic and tensed in frightful anticipation. The nano-kliks felt like cycles, but no mauling ever came. You felt the creature ease up its grasp on you as it began to sniff around your face. It was gentle and tickled terribly. Biting your lip, you resisted your urge to giggle and were lapped by a sloppy glossa. A vulpine whine escaped the beast as it licked you again.

Kaon had crouched down beside you and patted the monstrous fox’s head in a rewarding manner, which made the beast turn its attention away from you as it nuzzled against its master. You gasped and quickly scrambled into a sitting position so the monster couldn’t get a jump on you again.

“Don’t worry, he’s a good boy. He won’t actually attack anyone unless we’re on a hunt.” Kaon cooed affectionately over the beast.

The turbo fox was far from being an ideal companion creature. He had a jagged, frightening, appearance and was in some level of disrepair with the left side of his face missing. A thick steel collar was fastened around the mechanical vulpine’s neck; the horrible hound was a pet. Despite his fierce looks, the pet was in good spirits as he eagerly wagged his bushy tail and trotted back over to you. He did his best to give you a cute puppy look as he nudged your chest with his snout. You froze up and glanced over to Kaon as if looking for instructions on how to react.

“I think he likes you.” Kaon smiled genuinely as he stood and left you two on the floor much to your dismay “He just wants you to pet him. Don’t act so terrified.”

You weren’t familiar with Cybertronian animals. Cautiously, you stroked the top of the turbo fox’s helm. Despite your inexperience, he seemed to be fond of your touch and happily leaned into your servo. The beast wasn’t that bad, but now the electric mech had a keen set of optics to watch over you in the form of a guard dog. There was no escape… With a deep vent, you tried to steel your nerves for the tireless night that laid ahead of you.


	3. Blank Canvas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're stuck in the habsuite of an unstable mech, with no avenue to escape. To make matters worse, Kaon is insistent about introducing you to the rest of the crew aboard the Peaceful Tyranny. No matter how long you slumber, you're unable to escape your waking nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >w<' I want to make chapter illustrations, but I don't know how to go about it when the protag is a blank-slate reader insert. Oh well.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: None

You didn’t know what to expect of Kaon’s habsuite. Something devious perhaps, or entirely void considering his lack of optics. As the larger mech flicked on a room light and invited you in, you were pleasantly surprised. It looked perfectly normal… The habsuite was large and incredibly tidy; everything had a specific place. A small berth sat to the west side of the room, bathed in gentle starlight from a nearby porthole. It was too small for a mech of Kaon’s size and your suspicions were confirmed by the box of ragged dog toys that spilled out haphazardly underneath it; the berth belonged to the pet. A work desk sat in the middle of the lodging, surrounded by shelves filled with an odd assortment of things. To the east was a lounging area, complete with a small kitchenette and a cozy sofa that encircled a low coffee table. Nestled between the work area and kitchen was a small flight of stairs that led to a loft that overlooked the whole habsuite. Considering the mech’s lack of a berth, you were quick to assume it was up there.

It was only as you continually scanned the room that something strange began to click in your processor. The walls of the habsuite were covered in bizarre framed pictures. Paintings? Cybertronian’s had never been known for their pursuit of the arts, let alone ones that were blind. The artwork wasn’t arranged in any particular pattern; only matching the size of the frames to cover the empty wall in a calculated manner. This hodgepodge of hues and themes confirmed your suspicion that Kaon wasn’t aware of the content on the canvases he decorated his habsuite with.

“They’re nice, aren’t they?” Kaon interrupted your browsing.

He had moved behind you, crouching down so his head rested mere inches above your shoulder as if he was trying to see at your optic level.

“Why do-” You bit your lip as the mech abruptly cut you off, he had seen the query coming from a mile away.

“Haha! They’re gifts from the crew. Tarn started it off as a joke and it kind of spiralled out of control, so now my habsuite is covered in them.” Kaon was in incredibly good spirits despite the cruel nature of it “I have no idea what’s on them, but I trust they wouldn’t get me anything terrible.”

Trying not to cringe was difficult. Tarn? Vos? He trusted them not to buy terrible things? You couldn’t have any faith in such mechs, especially after your ordeal. It was in this fleeting moment that you had forgotten Kaon was one of them. Swiftly, you choked back any ill commentary that wished so desperately to flee your lips.

“That’s cute.” You murmured cautiously, attempting to mask your discomfort.

“Mmhm! I know you probably think we’re all nefarious, and honestly, I do apologize for what happened when Tarn picked you up… But we’re not that bad, I promise. Tomorrow I’m going to introduce you to everyone! That way we can start things off right.” Kaon smiled, bringing his cheek plating against yours as he wrapped you in a snug embrace.

Blush painted your face while you squirmed to escape his grasp. With a sigh, Kaon let you scramble away as he straightened his posture to loom over you once more. The electric mech wore a shy smile; embarrassed, rather than angry, at his failed attempt to comfort you.

“I’ve already met Tarn and Vos. I really don’t need to say hello to them again.” You scoffed, gathering the courage to turn away from Kaon and seat yourself on the sofa across the room.

Kaon’s turbo fox whined and quickly padded over to you. Immediately after you sat down the beast bounded onto your lap and began to nuzzle against you. It had sensed your sour mood from the tone of your vocalizer. You couldn’t see anything amicable in the animal’s affection and felt pinned once again, barely able to budge your frame under the pet’s weight.

“You haven’t met Helex, Tess or Nickel yet. That’s like half the crew.” Kaon chided as he took up a seat uncomfortably close to you.

Oh, Primus! There were more of them?! Your spark dimmed at the prospect. You could only hope they shared Kaon’s enthusiasm for your company. Silently, you tried to focus your processor elsewhere and gently stroked a servo against the turbo fox lazing on your lap.

“I bet they’re all nice…” It was hard not to sound sarcastic and you quickly changed the subject “You wouldn’t happen to know when I'm getting dropped off though? I don’t want to burden your crew with my repairs. That wo-”

“What do you mean?” Kaon’s words were doused with a sickening mix of confusion and concern.

His vocalizer was betrayed by his casual composure as the mech laid his upper arm against the back of the sofa and rested his helm against the palm of his servo. Kaon’s hollows stared eerily at you as he awaited your response. You couldn’t say anything… Why would he say that? It’s not like you asked a particularly difficult question. Panic began to gnaw at your processor as you couldn’t muster more than a choked squeak.

“We can’t have you running around in such disrepair. Honestly, it’s not an issue to fix you up.” He informed in the absence of your reply.

“...And after that?” You winced from the deflection.

“Hmmm? Oh, you’re not going anywhere… But where would you go anyway? You were left to rust on a dead planet, I had to beg Tarn to pick you up.” Kaon simmered at your ungracious query, struggling to keep his cool as the coils on his shoulders crackled ominously.

“Y-you can’t just keep someone… I’m not… I’m not a pet.” You mewled piteously at the gravity of your situation.

“No, you’re going to be so much _more_ than that. There’s nothing to be worried about. I’ll take good care of you.” Current prickled against your frame as the electric mech reached out to touch your helm.

It hadn’t been a rescue… No… You’d been merely collected on a whim to be a plaything for a depraved mech. The energon in your tank bubbled with overwhelming nausea as your engine churned; running your frame febrile and faint.

“I know it’s a lot to take in. You’ve had a dreadfully hectic day and probably need a recharge after all of this. The berth is upstairs, so please get a good rest. I don’t want you running yourself into stasis…” Kaon sighed, pulling the pet from your lap so you were free to get up “…Or you can choose to leave right now, but I can’t guarantee what will happen to you once you exit that door.”

Overwhelmed with dread, you stood shakily on your pedes and walked away from the sofa. The door or the stairs… You were in the middle of both and they were equally far away. Momentarily your optic focused on the gateway, the thought to run had barely crossed your processor as the atmosphere in the room became choked with tense static. With a grimace, you glanced back at Kaon. The mech was visibly agitated, clutching onto the back of the couch as he sat rigidly; his abyssal optics locked upon you. Electricity danced dangerously on his coils and sparked from the palms of his servos as they held the sofa in a twitchy grip. No… You wouldn’t have made it out the door, the mech would have sprung upon you the moment you tried to leave. It was a death sentence. Taking a deep intake, you pivoted your pedes and clambered up the stairs.

Kaon probably said something as you went up to the loft, but your audials were buzzing with dread that deafened out any other sound. There was no door separating the berth from the rest of the habsuite, leaving the sleeping area open and vulnerable. Your nerves were calmed only slightly by the fact that neither Kaon nor his pet bothered to follow you. For the first time during your nightmarish stay aboard this vessel, you were alone. Sighing with relief, you shuffled over to the large berth at the end of the room. It was big enough for two mechs and cozily drenched in dim starlight. Without a care in the galaxy, you threw yourself onto the berth; curling comfortably as your frame sunk into its soft surface. You had forgotten what such luxuries felt like. A contented squeak left your vocalizer while you burrowed your helm against the headrest. The berth carried a faint pleasant fragrance that felt foreign on your sensors and brought back bleak reality. It was Kaon’s bed and you were merely a captive guest.

Fearfully, you kept your optic transfixed on the loft’s entryway with the expectation that the electric mech would creep into your sanctuary at any moment. The cycles slowly ticked by, but Kaon never intruded. Despite your unease, you couldn’t stave off your exhaustion any longer and drifted into a reluctant recharge.

\---

Neither dreams nor nightmares interrupted your slumber. You were only brought back to the waking realm by a warm sensation streaking across your cheek plate. In your barely conscious stupor, you grumbled and swatted at whatever was causing the nuisance; servos coming into contact with a slobbery maw. The pet had crawled onto the berth with you and wore a primitive look of concern, whimpering all the while as he nudged and lapped at your frame.

“Calm down. I’m awake! I’m awake!” You squeaked, hiding your face from the turbo fox’s slobbering glossa.

As you sat up the beast lept off the berth and padded anxiously in front of you before dashing down the stairs. You didn’t understand why he was so upset, but as you stood you felt your tank rumble with emptiness. Last night you had consumed far more energon than what your frame could have burned during a single recharge… How long had you been sleeping? You didn’t dwell on that thought for long and scrambled to follow the pet to the main floor of the habsuite.

No one else was home. You sighed with relief, thankful that Kaon wasn’t waiting to pounce on you. Out of instinct, you ran straight to the door. Hesitation washed over you as your optic glanced at the control panel; it was locked and surely Kaon would know if you tried to tamper with it. It was unwise to even contemplate escaping…

The turbo fox yipped from behind you, happily wagging his tail as he approached the gateway. There was a small portal inset in the door; only big enough for a canine. The pet’s optics met yours briefly as he pawed at the aperture then pressed his helm against it causing the dog door to open. The portal was only breached long enough to allow the turbo fox to leave and instantly closed behind him.

Foolishly, you crouched down on the floor and laid your servo on the diminutive gateway. Nothing happened… You couldn’t say you were surprised, the door was probably programmed to only allow the animal in and out of the habsuite. Even if it had worked, your frame would have been too large to fit. Defeated, you scooted away from the door but remained seated in a seated pout.

The pet burst back into the room, happily dashing at you and knocking you over. He licked you as if to say sorry but was too enticed by the energon in his food dish to give you a proper apology as he trotted away to eat. You didn’t bother getting up. Splayed pathetically on the floor, you looked towards the turbo fox shot him an exaggerated glare.

The keen creature caught your expression as he noisily munched on his meal. He squeaked softly and perked his audials, taking care to swallow what he was eating before plucking another energon cube between his teeth. This motion was oddly delicate and the pet’s intention became clear as he brought it over to you; gently plopping it down on your open servo. He barked happily then returned to his dish.

You didn’t know whether to think it was cute or be mildly offended. This beast had shared his meal with you as if you were his equal; caged lifeforms to be kept for another bot’s companionship and amusement. A wince cracked your vocalizer, it was too much of a cruel situation to bear. In an attempt to ease your mind, your optic locked upon the morsel of energon the turbo fox had gifted you. It radiated with a healthy glow that signalled an impressive quality far beyond the typical rations given to Decepticon grunts, and light-years away from what should have been considered pet food. You were curious now, daring to let the snack trespass your lips and cautiously gripping you dentae into it. It was soft and mildly sweet…

“Hahahahaha! What the hell are you doing?” Kaon’s boisterous laughter broke the silence as he returned to the room.

The electric mech’s sudden intrusion was startling, you almost choked on the tiny energon cube while you scrambled to get up. Embarrassment flushed your frame with a dizzying warmth; he had caught you flopped on the floor eating pet food. You couldn’t think of anything worse to walk in on. Shyly, you tried to hide your face behind your servo and averted your gaze to the ground.

“You’re more than welcome to help yourself to the energon in the kitchen. You don’t need to eat his food.” Kaon’s chuckle died down into softly spoken words.

He stepped close and placed his servo over yours, forcing you out of your meagre hiding place. His plating felt unnaturally torrid and an aroma of spilled energon hastily masked with soap clung to his seams. You couldn’t help but shudder. The mech smiled kindly, patting your helm as he was so prone to doing before letting your digits slip from his.

“Did you have a good recharge? You were out for almost four solar cycles. I was starting to get worried. I figured you had either died up there or were trying to avoid me.” He smirked wolfishly.

“Four solar cycles?! Why didn’t you come to wake me up?” You gasped, fluttering your wing in distress.

“Ha! And how would that have gone? You’re so jumpy, you might have had a spark attack. Besides, I’ve been busy so there’s no harm in taking a long recharge.” Kaon brushed off your concerns.

“Busy doing what?” Your question was blunt and dire, but you refused to let it go; the mech had returned to his habsuite reeking of a massacre.

“Oh? Just checking another offender off the list.” His reply was vague.

You blinked in confusion, which gave Kaon the platform to elaborate.

“I figured you didn’t know who we were, otherwise you’d probably have run as soon as you saw our ship. But that’s okay! It means you’re in the good books and have nothing to worry about.” He briefly tried to reassure you before continuing. “We hunt down traitors who’ve defiled Megatron’s vision and turned their backs on the Decepticon cause. Treasonous deserters and miscreants… It’s our sworn duty to bring justice to every single one of them.”

Justice… You knew well what Kaon meant by that word and didn’t bother questioning the inquisitor further on the matter.

“T-that sounds really dangerous. You probably have to deal with some scary Decepticons!” You chimed up, unable to hide the fear quivering in your vocalizer that have been easily misinterpreted as worry.

“The worst of the worst! It’s exhilarating…” He trailed off, sickly lavishing in the thought of his work.

An uneasy silence followed for what felt like cycles.

“It’s all teamwork though. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the rest of the crew.” Kaon laughed nervously to cover up his blunder. “Speaking of which… Now that you’re awake, you can finally introduce yourself.”

The electric mech stepped behind you and ushered you towards the door of the habsuite. You dug your heels against the floor to stop Kaon from pushing you out only to be swept off your pedes by the larger mech. He was stronger than his lean frame led you to believe and cradled you gingerly against his chest; supporting the back of your thighs and spinal strut in his arms. Being carried almost felt nice… You blushed and refused to make optic contact with Kaon while he toted you out of the habsuite.

“K-kaon! Please put me down, you don’t need to carry me.” You bashfully pleaded.

You didn’t want to burden him with carrying your weight when you were capable of doing it yourself. The embarrassment of having Kaon carry you in front of a bunch of strange and malicious mechs would have been enough to extinguish your spark.

“Nonsense. Fliers are quite light, so I don’t mind but if you’d rather walk…” He caught onto your discomfort and obliged in setting you back down but refused to let go of your servo.

“Thank you.” You spoke in almost a whisper.

Kaon nodded in acknowledgement and smiled, but didn’t say a word. Quietly, he led you through the ship and into the large lounging area. 

Your spark sank in your chest and grew tight as you spied the familiar figures of Tarn and Vos. They were casually seated in the parlour and conversing amicably with a duo of absolutely monstrous bots. Their chatter ceased immediately upon your entry into the room. Everyone’s optics locked gravely on your trembling frame as you backed up into Kaon. Never before had you felt so small and vulnerable.


	4. Medic Menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductions go more pleasantly than expected. To your dismay, you find yourself dragged back to the med bay and at the mercy of the DJD's infamous doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Awkward Medical Exam | Mild Lewd Themes

Your spark was racing now. Shyly, you pressed back against Kaon’s frame, hoping dearly that the mech would call off introductions. He was smiling widely as he gently pushed you forward and told your name to the others in the room.

The largest bot in the lounge had a strange pink X struck across his helm where his optics should have been and sat with his hefty arms crossed over his hollow chest. He scoffed and lifted a servo to give you a half-hearted wave but didn’t say a word. A big blue mech sat next to him. His stern face grew alight with amicable wonder as his optics remained glued on your diminutive frame. Without warning, the behemoth stood up and made his way over to you. Each of his heavyset steps reverberated through the floor and sent tremors into your frame.

“Ooooo! Kaon has a new pet! Hopefully, you don’t make the sparkeater jealous.” He cooed softly, using one of his massive servos to pat you on the head.

He could have easily crushed your helm between his brutal digits. You tensed up and prepared for the worst, but the imposing blue mech was quick to withdraw from the unwanted petting. He offered you a smaller servo from the second set of arms that hung around his waist.

“Name’s Helex.” The mech heartily shook your servo with such vigour it felt like your arm was going to twist off. “The grumpy quiet one back there is Tesarus… And Kaon told me you already met Vos and Tarn.” 

“Hi-i-!” You squeaked back at him.

“Ha ha ha! Tiny, timid and terrified. Seems to be Kaon’s type, if you know what I’m saying…” Helex teased in a loud whisper as he crouched to reach your audials.

You didn’t know what to make of Helex’s overly friendly and boisterous nature. It had taken you by surprise. Briefly, you felt a pang of guilt for assuming that the ferocious mech would have been anything but.

“̴̡҉ ̵̵͟͢ ̵̴̕͜͝ ̶̵͜͠͝ ̴̧͞͡҉ ̴̶! Hell-o!” A sinister familiar voice hissed out from behind Helex, warping his archaic vocalizer to form the bastardized greeting.

It was Vos. The scrawny spectre had wormed his way between you and the blue brute. He comically tried to push Helex away, though the other mech obliged and allowed Vos to creep into your personal space without resistance. His searing optics narrowed into a mocking glower as he offered to shake your servo as well. You didn’t have an opportunity to drawback. Vos swiftly snapped his digits around yours, their steely tips scrapping like needles against your paint. He refused to break optic contact, giving you two solid handshakes before slinking back to where he had been seated.

Tarn didn’t bother with introductions. He chuckled at the antics of his teammates and gave an even more half-assed wave than Tesarus did.

“See? It wasn’t so bad.” Kaon happily chimed in, suddenly placing his servos on your shoulders and nearly startling the life out of you.

You forgot how uncomfortably close you had gotten to Kaon in a feeble attempt to stave off the rest of the crew. You tried to distance yourself, but he had you firmly within his grasps.

“That’s everyone, right?” A sigh left your vocalizer as you leaned back into the red mech and looked up at him; praying your ordeal was over and you could retreat to the habsuite.

“You still haven’t met Nickel, have you?” Helex intruded once more, though his voice was laced with concern rather than excitement this time around.

“Oh, yes! You actually have an appointment with her today.” Kaon informed rather coldly as he leaned down to give you a comforting hug.

“I have an appointment with N-Nickel?” You queried nervously as the aura in the room became suspenseful.

“She’s our medic. Nickel can be a bit…” Tarn began to speak up only to be interrupted by the once silent Tesarus.

“...Scary.” Tesarus spoke the single word with a sharp grimace..

If the massive grinder was afraid of the doctor, then how would you ever stand a chance? The whole crew shared the sentiment as they mumbled among themselves and nodded in agreement with Tesarus while putting on various expressions of distress. You shrunk back against Kaon, shakily reaching to hold his servo with yours.

“Primus! You’re so fragged up, Nickel’s gonna blow a gasket when she sees the state of ya.” Helex bawled dramatically burying his face in the palms of his large servos and shaking his helm in utter dismay.

“̡̡̕͘̕͘͠͠͠͠ ̷ ̡ ̶͡͞ ͢҉ ̧͘͘ ͡ ͠͝ ̸̧ ̢ ̴̷̡͞ ̴̴̛ ̷̡̛̕ ͘ ̢͏̵ ̷̧ ͏̶̢ ̧͜͜ ̡͘͘̕ ̷̢ ͢͜ ̡͢ ̴̛͠ ͏̴̢͞ ̵͟͜͜ ̵̛ ҉̢” Vos cried waving his arms frantically before finishing in an odd servo gesture; pressing his pointer digit against his thumb in a circular shape.

“Vos said he’ll give you fifty shanix if you make it out the med bay in one piece.” Tarn chuckled deviously, the mech had little faith in your survival.

You gulped and clung to Kaon who was all too happy to keep you safe in his embrace. He gently pulled you back from the jeering group but nothing could ease your building anxiety.

“I can come with you when you visit Nickel if that will make you feel better.” Kaon offered sincerely with a kind smile as he looked down at you.

You nodded sheepishly, striding in step with the taller mech as he whisked you away to your impending appointment. 

\---

Overwhelming dread was the only emotion you felt. The clatter of your pedes against the cold floor of the ship was startlingly sharp on your audials. You shuddered with unease as the trek back to the med bay was drawn out further by Kaon’s slowing pace. It was evident that he was stalling for time whether it was for selfish reasons or a pathetic attempt to stave off your fears.

“Is Nickel really that bad?” You broke the awkward silence, but in all honesty, you didn’t want to know.

“Ha ha ha! Yes, absolutely savage! Nickel’s one of the most skilled medics in the galaxy, but you’ll wish you were dead by the end of it. She’s even made Tarn cry on more than one occasion.” Kaon’s laughter was swiftly eaten away by a dire tone that was as bleak as his hollow optics.

You squeaked as a tremor momentarily froze your frame. Kaon gave you a reassuring pat to snap you out of it, but you could barely muster the energy to move your pedes any further. There was no need to continue. You found yourself facing the door outside the foreboding med bay for a second time. The red mech casually knocked on the gateway, expecting to be invited inside. With a subtle hiss of hydraulics, the door began to slide away. You grimaced, grasping at Kaon’s arm as tight as you could.

“Gosh! What a mess! You’re a lot shabbier than Kaon said you’d be.” A feminine voice gasped from the med bay, sounding quite disgusted with your appearance.

No one was in the room. There were only surgical machines and empty berths. You bit your lip and contorted your faceplates into a wry expression then glanced around the room. Where was this horrifying Nickel? Suddenly there was a pang of pressure against your right leg. In a panic, you averted your optic downward only to spy a minuscule rotund bot prodding at your transformation seams with a steely probe.

The minicon’s helm barely reached above your knees. She sported a clinical teal paint job and had a cutesy, rounded, frame that was decked with all sorts of tools. After a few more nano-kliks of poking around, she spun back on her wheeled pedes and glowered up at you with spunky indignation.

“Hmm? What’s wrong with you? Well, besides the obvious… You look like a startled petro-rabbit that got half mauled by a turbo fox.” She scoffed, skating back to the berth and lowering it down before giving it a hefty pat. “C’mon now.”

Kaon ushered you into the room before standing off by the door. He kept his distance while maintaining his promise of chaperoning your appointment. The mech couldn’t help but smirk mischievously as he watched you stumble towards the berth. What the hell was he thinking? Your optic shiftily darted about, moving between the minicon and the medical equipment; half expecting a fearsome bot to burst into the room at any second. There was no way this tiny bot could be Nickel… Not the same Nickel that struck fear into the sparks of everyone aboard. She must have been some sort of assistant to the villainous doctor. Quietly you sat down on the berth and quivered nervously.

“A-a-are you Nickel?” It was a struggle to even ask the question.

“Hmm? Yes, why?” The minicon replied, raising a brow at your sheepish query.

You sat there slack-jawed and dumbfounded, stuttering gibberish as you failed to initialize your vocalizer. This was Nickel?!

“Yeesh, your processor might be more damaged than I first thought!” Nickel quipped as she reached her petite servo to grab your chin and tilt your face towards her; observing your broken features with utmost scrutiny.

“Everyone said you were super mean and scary! Kaon told me you made Tarn cry and…” You blurted out stupidly but the minicon abruptly cut your rambling short as she burst out into laughter.

“Ha! What?! Mean and scary? Made Tarn cry?! I guess that’s fairly accurate but…” She paused to take a deep intake of air and cracked a smile “I’m only a menace if you don’t take care of yourself. Don’t injure your aft doing stupid slag and we’ll be fine.”

Nickel turned her attention away from you and briefly glared at Kaon. She shook a fist at him before raising a digit in a lewd gesture towards the electric mech. At this point you didn’t blame her, everyone had lied to you and got you all riled up and anxious over nothing.

“Kaon, you dumb aft! You and all the guys. What an awful joke to play on your little pet. Scared them half to death! I don’t even think their field sensor is working.” She cussed and returned all her attention to you “It’s not working right? You should have been able to tell they were joking. Helex is such a bad actor.”

Kaon laughed and gave a feeble defence of his cruel joke, but you couldn’t hear him. You were too disturbed by the fact that you had completely forgotten about the field signatures given off by other Cybertronians. The sensor must have been damaged in your crash landing, but after being alone for a hundred stellar cycles you had grown accustomed to feeling nothing. It had entirely slipped your processor, but now that the medic brought it up you realized the sensation was painfully absent.

“I’m not a pet… But um, it’s not working. I don’t think my comm system is either…” You replied, pondering the plethora of repairs you needed.

“Definitely not a pet. Mhhhmmm, yep! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re functional again.” Nickel stated bluntly as she continued to inspect every inch of your frame.

The minicon’s nimble digits worked deftly, intruding into nooks and seams between your plating that you didn’t even know existed. You couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by her hands-on method of observation, especially as Kaon watched. You shot the electric mech a quick glare and he swiftly averted his abyssal gaze as if to give you a meagre hint of privacy. Had you known Nickel wasn’t going to be a threat, you would have never allowed Kaon to come into the med bay with you.

While you were distracted by glaring daggers at Kaon, Nickel had slipped between your knees. She worked her way up your legs, peeping her helm just above your modesty plating. A hot blush flushed your cheeks at her intimate intrusion as you tensed up; cooling fans clicking on audibly in the quiet room with only further added to the awkwardness of the situation. The medic wasn’t bothered at all and tapped her servo against your pelvis.

“Open up.” Nickel asked in a deadpan tone.

“W-wait? What?!” You squeaked, slamming your thighs together out of instinct and clumsily pinning the minicon between them while you sheepishly covered your plating.

“Gah! Haven’t you ever had a physical exam before? A full system check! Don’t be so prudish, I gotta make sure you’re not bringing anything nasty aboard.” She sighed, trying to push your legs apart to free herself.

“Nasty?! I-I haven’t even used my array yet! You can’t just expect a bot to let you go prodding around in there!” Your vocalizer crackled as you yelped in crippling distress.

Surprisingly, Nickel backed off. She slunk back, letting you uncomfortably writhe on the berth as you continued to cover yourself. You shut your optic and let out a deep vent. The door to the med bay clicked open and was followed by the shuffling of pedes before closing abruptly. Kaon’s departure brought a splendid feeling of relief to your trembling frame. You could do without his voyeurism.

“I’m sorry, that was embarrassing. I don’t need to take a look down there if… Erm, you know...” Nickel apologized, her voice was soft and comforting as she waited for to regain your composure.

“Thank you.” You mumbled, straightening back up on the berth.

“Kaon’s a little weird, hey?” The medic piped up with gossip to gloss over the prior incident as she continued the examination “He’s the communications officer, but sometimes I think he’s a bit awkward. As you already know, his sense of humour is kinda fragged up.”

“No way. Really?” You smirked with soaking sarcasm.

“Haha! Not so timid now, are you?” Nickel teased.

\---

Your conversation had spanned the entire duration of your repairs. Nickel was a wealth of knowledge and eager to talk about almost anything. You felt comfortable around her and were glad there was someone aboard who wasn’t super intimidating.

“There! We’re all done for now.” The minuscule medic proclaimed standing in front of you with her servos placed on her hips in a sassy manner “Comm line is up and running, I pre-loaded it with everyone’s contact info. Your field sensor should be functional and all of Vos’ fraggin’ awful handiwork has been patched up.”

You were grateful for Nickel’s repairs, but you felt concerned. She had replaced the damaged optic lids on the right side of your face but left the void empty. All of the terrible patches along your body had been properly sealed and dressed, yet you were still missing an arm and a wing. For some reason, Nickel had taken the care to install a set of four thick wire structures along the trailing edge of your left wing tip. Idly, you flicked at them and shuddered at their odd sensitivity.

“Is there any way I can get my other arm back?” You dropped the hint as subtly as a bomb.

“Yep! Kaon told me you’re only allowed to get those kinds of repairs if you behave yourself. Think of it as a reward system, he said.” Nickel informed bluntly.

“Are you serious?” You tried to catch yourself but ended up whining pathetically at your predicament.

“I am one hundred percent serious. It makes sense, we can’t afford to be giving out limbs like they’re energon goodies. Especially not to pets.” She shrugged with a sly grin, renouncing any responsibility she had in the decision.

“I told you. I’m not a pet.” You retorted.

“Pfft. It’s Kaon we’re talking about. Let’s see…” Nickel held up her fingers and began to ramble off a list “He ’adopted’ you from a dead planet, you’re small, you can’t transform, you don’t work, you get free energon, a free place to recharge and he’s already quite attached to you.”

“Ahhh! Don’t say it like that.” You squeaked and playfully swatted your servo at Nickel to get her to stop.

It did sound like you were a pet.

“Bah! I’m just teasing you, but really…” She snickered and gave your leg a soft jab. “You should get your aft out of here, it’s been cycles. If you ever need anything, just hit up my comm, okay?”

With that, the minicon shooed you out of the med bay. The hall was empty and Kaon was nowhere to be seen. Curiously, you popped up your comm-link to see if you had received any messages while you were being repaired. To your surprise, there were three; one from Nickel, Kaon and Helex. You read through them while you idly tried to wander back to the habsuite but you found yourself getting lost in the ship’s maze of corridors. Nickel only sent a note to test the system and Helex left you a jumbled mess of hellos and random emoji. You replied to him with a simple “Hi” and continued to Kaon’s message.

[[I hope Nickel wasn’t too rough on you. Please come back to the habsuite once you get out of your appointment.]] Kaon’s message was simple.

[[I would if I knew how. I have no idea where anything is on this ship…]] You shot back, hoping the electric mech was as doting over the comm lines as he was in person.

[[Of course, I’ll come to get you.]] He responded immediately.

You let out a sigh and slumped comfortably against the wall while you waited for Kaon to come to your rescue. It was a few minutes before the sound of pedes clattering down the hall reached your audials. A soft smile cracked across your lips as you spied the familiar red mech. An affable warmth washed over your fields that put your spark at ease despite the questionable nature of your accommodations.

“Ah! There you are!” Kaon exclaimed with a wide grin.

His servos were greedy and traced over your frame; feeling every inch of Nickel’s fine repair work. He caressed your smooth cheek plating before running his digits down the leading edge of your wing; making you shiver from the fleeting touch. Kaon paused at your wingtips and appeared perturbed by the trailing wires Nickel had added to your frame. He gave them a sharp flick.

“Static wicks? Are you still worried about getting shocked?” Kaon sounded offended as he turned his hollows upon you.

“Ow! A little bit, yeah… But Nickel put them on without asking me.” You winced, folding your wing behind your back so the mech couldn’t reach it. “Why are you being so handsy?”

Kaon recoiled at your scolding accusation. His field became stricken with embarrassment, which was physically evident in the rosy blush that flushed his face. You hadn’t expected him to back down so easily.

“I’m sorry. I can’t see fine details. It’s hard for me to discern differences without being able to feel them. That’s not a good excuse though, I should have asked you first. I apologize.” He repented woefully.

He appeared to be sincere. Momentarily you felt bad for the mech, but your processor was quick to jump to the assumption that he was using it as an excuse to touch you. You bit down on your glossa and moved to change the subject.

“What can you see?” You queried curiously.

“Oh! It’s like a radar display if you will. Dark, but alight with indicators and outlines. A three hundred and sixty-degree view for about two hundred meters. It’s quite difficult for bots to sneak up on me.” Kaon explained happily, current dancing between his coils while he walked you back to the habsuite “I’m also fairly sensitive to electromagnetic fields, so I can tell how you’re feeling even if you try to lie to me. Organics are hard to pinpoint though, they just look like dim flickers if they even appear at all.”

“Oh! That sounds neat. What do I look like to you?” You piped up with burning interest.

“I have no idea what colour your paint job is and I can’t see the glow of your optic, but I can tell the contours of your frame. Smooth and aerodynamic, though your automotive kibble disturbs the fine flow of a flier. An odd contrast, but it’s cute.” Kaon smiled earnestly.

Cute… You don’t think anyone had ever called you that before, nor had you given yourself the label. Alluring? Gorgeous? Your vanity merited all sorts of descriptors but never cute. The word brought warmth to your frame as you blushed shyly. It was as condescending as it was complimentary.


	5. Bitter Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life aboard the peaceful tyranny is pleasant until you pester Kaon with a guessing game and things take a turn for the worst. You find yourself in the company of Helex as you try to patch over the issues from that evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings| Mild Violence

A month had passed since you were brought aboard the dreaded Peaceful Tyranny. You had grown surprisingly comfortable around the gang of inquisitors, far more comfortable than you’d care to admit. You’d even warmed up a little towards Tarn and Vos, despite the horrors they had originally inflicted on you. Part of you wondered whether or not Nickel had tampered with your logic circuits to make you more receptive to them.

Regardless, there were still moments that nearly extinguished your frightened spark… The way Tarn would glower bitterly if you got in his path and threaten your life with the slightest of words; tearing away at your very essence. You were wise enough to stay far from the two bigger mechs. They were a bit oblivious at times and had nearly crushed you on multiple occasions, though Helex would always apologize profusely. Vos remained as eerie as he was elusive, like a shadow sneaking around the ship, and would pop out of unexpected places to deliberately scare the lights out of you.

…And then there was Kaon. You had barely left his side since you’d first met him but, even with a functional field sensor, you could hardly gauge the crimson mech. One moment, he’d be dripping in dark sarcasm, teasing you with thinly veiled threats, then be unbearably kind and affectionate in the next. If you had upset him, Kaon’s voltaic coils would spark up in a horrific display of glowing current that choked the air around you and made your frame feel tense. Though he had a habit of doing that when he was incredibly happy as well… The light shows might have almost been beautiful if you had any faith in his promise not to hurt you.

Kaon hadn’t hurt you, aside from the odd scolding flick he’d give your helm if you got into trouble; an animalistic form of discipline. You had been good. Good enough to warrant yourself a repair and now sporting a shiny new shoulder cuff, but no arm to go along with it. Progress was slow since each reward was only a part replacement. It was going to be a long time before you’d be complete again.

It was another dull day between hunts. The bridge of the Peaceful Tyranny was quiet aside from the faint flicker and hum of the comm station. Kaon had worked alone, maintaining the infamous list of traitors and meticulously tracking any trace of them he could grasp. However, for the past few weeks, he had taken to bringing you along with him. You didn’t mind, it was better than being cooped up in his habsuite, but perhaps it was too intimate… Kaon had seated you comfortably on his lap while he worked; your small frame easily fitting between him and the console. His arms were wrapped loosely around you as he typed speedily. Initially, you had wondered how he was viewing the information on the screen but were quick to notice that he was directly plugged into the console with a series of cables from his chassis. The faint glow from the monitor coupled with the pitter-patter of keys was strangely relaxing. You murmured, shutting your optic and leaning back against Kaon. His frame felt pleasantly warm. It would have been easy to slip into recharge like this and you had on prior occasions.

“How is it going?” You queried, taking a delicate sip from the mug of hot energon you were holding.

The information on screen sped by far too fast for you to process, and you weren’t privy to see it anyway. You almost felt bad for trying to distract Kaon with a conversation, but it was a welcome reprieve from the silence.

“Getting closer! I almost have the coordinates nailed down… They’re not a high priority on the list, but it’s better than nothing. We’ve been in such a drought lately. I think the traitors are getting craftier.” Kaon’s voice was gentle but ached with exhaustion.

You couldn’t recall how long he’d be mulling over information. It was somewhere between eight or ten cycles now. You’d been with him the whole time, aside from taking a few breaks but Kaon had remained glued to his post. The mech was tediously devoted to his job, as were all of the DJD, but you felt a pang of pity for how often he’d isolate himself with it. Quietly, you set your drink down off to the side of the console; daring not to spill a drop. With your servo free, you slyly snuck it under Kaon’s as he was reaching to type and wrapped your digits lazily between his. A shy gasp escaped the mech’s vocalizer before he tightened his servo around yours.

“I’m glad… But you really should take a break. You’re burning out.” A gentle plea left your lips as you tried to sway the mech; focusing your gaze up at him while you cracked a sheepish smile.

Kaon’s emotions were fickle, and you soon learned that he was quick to give in to your suggestions whenever you acted friendly towards him. He must have seen it as progress in your disconcerting relationship. The mech had taken your bait and idly slid his seat back from the console, though he remained cabled to it. His servos were free to wander but he chose to wrap his arms around you in a snug embrace.

“A small break won’t hurt. I’ll give you fifteen minutes.” Kaon compromised, hardly taking the time off he needed.

“Pffft!” You scoffed and squirmed in his grasp before pondering something mischievous “Why don’t we play a game? If I can guess your alt-mode correctly while you’re on ‘break’, you’ll stop working and go recharge. Okay?”

Kaon was oddly sensitive about his alt-mode. You couldn’t discern what exactly it was from his odd kibble and the poor mech nearly had a panic attack when Helex almost spilled the secret after one too many pints of high grade. It was a secret only to you, and Kaon was desperate to keep it that way. You had figured the alt-mode was either something utterly dreadful or obscenely stupid to cause him so much distress, but it didn’t stop you from prying.

“This again? You spent a whole cycle yesterday trying to guess it, but you’re welcome to give it another try. Or you can just come out the next hunt and see for yourself.” He smirked devilishly at the offer.

“Um, no… I know what you guys do on hunts. I don’t think I’d be able to keep the energon in my tanks if I watched you _work_.” You shuddered at the thought.

“Mhhhmm… It’s best that you don’t. You might get hurt and I’d be utterly livid if any bot happened to lay a servo on you.” Kaon growled smoothly against your audials as his field burned with a possessiveness that made your spark feel wobbly.

“Ah-a-alright. So round two… You’re not a taser, tank, generator, laser cannon or an Insecticon zapper. What about a jet plane?” You pondered, teasing a digit against the turbine on Kaon’s chest; hooking around a fan blade and gently rotating it to the right “I haven’t seen turbines on pretty much anything ‘cept for fliers.”

“Haha. No, but I’m sure flying is a lot of fun.” He chuckled through a tired sigh.

“A boat? Maybe even a hovercraft?” Your processor was drawing at straws.

“Nope.” Kaon shook his helm.

“What about an amp? You know, like a sound amplifier?” You snickered and threw an odd one out there.

The mech’s field became ice-cold; clearly, you had struck a nerve.

“Ha ha ha! I knew it! I bet you let Tarn _plug_ right into you so he can use that voice of his to kill multiple targets on your hunts.” You smirked wickedly and began to chide him over your discovery.

Kaon didn’t respond. You moved your servo away from fondling the mech’s turbine, lifting it to brush up against his cheek plating. He snapped at your touch, locking his servo so tightly around your wrist that it began to buckle the metal. Your sharp wince was enough to make the crimson mech release his grasp on you. Whimpering, you set your trembling servo in your lap; trying to comfort your injury with a non-existent limb.

“I’m sorry. I-” He tried to apologize but you weren’t having any of it.

You scoffed bitterly, shoving Kaon’s arms aside and pushing yourself off his lap. Any sense of comfort had dissolved along with the meagre hint of trust he had spent the last month building with you. You nearly tripped over his cabling as you scrambled to leave. Kaon did nothing to stop you as you left the bridge and only met your lingering gaze with his dark hollows; if the mech had optics they would have glinted with the deep remorse that choked out his field.

\---

You had never been alone on the ship before. Someone always would have been at your side if you were wandering the halls. It felt like you were breaking out of curfew as you crept along, holding your vents at any sound or sign of movement. Your processor fluttered with panic that was only intensified by the dull, throbbing, pain in your wrist. You wanted for nothing more than to go back to the habsuite and just forget about the day.

“Hey!” A monstrous voice echoed down the hall.

Your spark stopped and your entire frame stiffened. You couldn’t bring your pedes to move as your processor struggled to respond.

Lumbering pede steps reverberated behind you as a colossal servo found its home atop your shoulder. You didn’t need to look back at them, you already knew who it was.

“What are ya doing wanderin’ around so late?” Helex chuckled heartily, though his laughter was abruptly cut short as his optics spied the crumpled plating on your wrist.

“What are you doing shouting like that if it’s so late?” You rebuked at the blue brute.

“Sssshhh. It’s a bad habit.” He tried to whisper but his vocals were still comically loud.

Gingerly, Helex reached one of his large servos to hold your injured arm. You flinched preemptively at his touch, but it was surprisingly gentle and didn’t cause any further discomfort.

“We’ll make sure Nickel fixes that up tomorrow. Does it hurt bad?” Helex asked with exaggerated concern.

“N-no. It’s just sore, that’s all. I don’t think Kaon meant to d-” You were cut off.

“Ya, he probably didn’t but don’t excuse ‘em. He gets a lil emotional sometimes. What’d ya do to piss him off?” The mech pried for details.

“Tried to guess his alt again… Said he was an amp and made a bit of a slaggy joke about Tarn and him.” You sighed at the bizarre circumstance of your injury and shakily wiggled your arm free from Helex “Is he an amplifier though? I totally guessed right, didn’t I? He wouldn’t have gotten so freaked out if I was wrong… That or he has a thing for Tarn.”

Helex snorted, trying to hold back his laughter. The mech made a sour expression and puffed his cheeks as he choked his vocalizer. With a deep exhaust of air, he regained his composure.

“Ya still guessed it wrong, but I’d avoid calling Kaon that in the future. It’s a bit of a sore spot for him. Hard not to be enticed by Tarn though, that mech’s voice can melt your spark.” He smiled.

“I’ll keep that in mind…” You smirked and grimaced at Helex’s reverence for Tarn; they all looked to their leader with such religious zeal.

Helex kept his servo on your shoulder and began to walk down the hall, pushing you along with him at a pace that was difficult to match with your short legs. You didn’t protest, though a pang of dread itched at the back of your processor. The mech had found you mere minutes after the incident with Kaon as if Helex had been comm’d to gather you up. To your relief, he didn’t steer you back to the bridge but rather towards the ship’s mess hall. A warm, sweet scent wafted over your sensors as you approached; instantly uplifting your sour mood. It smelled like energon, but something was pleasantly different.

“Are you cooking this late?” You quipped, raising a brow at the blue mech.

“Ssssh. Midnight snack, am I right?” He grinned and didn’t bother to excuse his actions.

You were aware of this ‘cooking’. It was an odd, organic, trend that had taken Cybertronians by storm. The fact that Tarn even allowed such a thing on the ship was surprising, but you couldn’t argue with the results. Helex was quite good at it and everyone enjoyed the spoils of the hobby.

Curiously, you scurried over to the galley and peered inside the kiln; pressing your helm against the warm view screen. Inside were three circular pans baking a pink and porous material that looked like a dense sponge. A bell rang out from the oven and Helex gently shooed you aside to remove the fluffy morsels from within. He set them on top of the range, allowing their delightful aroma to fill the room. You had to gulp back your salivation and resist the overwhelming urge to dig into them. You hadn’t seen food like this before.

“Calm down. Ya need to wait for them to cool.” Helex teased at your impatience before tending to a bowl of whipped material that glittered with a faint cerulean sparkle.

“What are you making this time?” You asked, standing on the tips of your pedes to get a better look at what the giant was doing.

“It’s called a cake. Supposed to be nice n’ fluffy.” He proclaimed and continued stirring the bowl at a breakneck pace.

Helex reached for a small container with his free arm and handed it to you. It was a minuscule glass jar that held tiny iridescent pieces of violet crystallized energon. Curiously, you shook it around and smiled softly at the faint clattering sound they made. The monstrous mech set the bowl down and began idly tapping his digits against the top of the kiln, fighting his own impatience as the cake cooled.

“Ya know… After we win the war n' get all the slaggers on the list, I’m gonna open up a restaurant back on Cybertron. It’s gonna be so good that ‘bots from all across the universe will want to come n' try it! Maybe even organics. It’s gonna be _that_ good!” Helex boasted, doing his best to stall for time.

“Oh? Do you think people are going to be down for a restaurant run by a former member of the DJD? I think they’d be afraid…” You couldn’t finish your smug remark.

“YEAH! They’ll be too scared not to try it! It’s ingenious.” He loudly swooned over his dreams.

It was impossible not to chuckle at the smelter’s overwhelming passion for such a homely hobby. A soft smile crossed your expression as your wary processor felt at ease. Quietly, you watched Helex remove the cakes from their pans; stacking them with a layer of icing before slathering the rest all over the pile. Without asking, Helex scooped you up with his large servos and dangled you precariously against the counter.

“Ok, you can put the sprinkles on!” He laughed heartily.

Sprinkles? Your face contorted in a confused expression for a brief moment before realizing the mech wanted you to apply the tiny jar of crystals. Sprinkles… What a silly word. You obliged Helex’s request and gently shook the minute energon fragments across the cake; taking care to coat them evenly across the icing. After sufficient application, Helex set you back down. Quietly, you sighed with relief that your pedes were firmly on the floor once more. Being held by others was something you’d never get used to.

“Here!” Helex took the sprinkles and replaced them with a plate of freshly sliced cake; there was only one piece, but he had stuck two utensils in it. “…Now go get an apology outta that bastard.”

You knew it! You had been lulled into a false sense of security by the lure of sweets only to be blinded by an ulterior motive. Your cheek plates glowed hot with embarrassment… You should have known better.

“Kaon comm’d you didn’t he?” You grumbled in utter dismay.

Helex smirked and shrugged, choosing not to give you a proper reply but the answer was obvious. With a deep sigh, you turned to leave the galley with your prize.


	6. Stardust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You allow your kindness to get the better of you, deciding to share your precious treat with Kaon... Even though he really doesn't deserve it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Awkwardly Eating Cake | Mildly Dubious Consent Kiss
> 
> :'3 I don't know how to tag it, sorry.

You were sorely tempted to keep the cake to yourself. There was no reason to share such a scrumptious thing. Not with Kaon. Not after what he had done. Yet, you found yourself walking back towards the ship's bridge. Perhaps it was out of fear, Helex probably would have ratted you out if you didn't share… You couldn't explain it but you felt strangely calm as you approached.

The communications console was still online, though there was hardly a flicker of motion on screen. Kaon sat slumped over the desk, helm resting against his folded arms and optic lids peacefully shut. His feeble attempt at recharging was thwarted by the fact that he was still plugged into the console; idly trying to work while he slumbered. The idiot… He was running on fumes as it was. You shouldn't have cared, but there was anger welling in your spark. 

"You dumb aft…" You gritted your dentae and set the cake aside.

Disgruntled, you crouched below the desk and went to work unplugging the mech from the console. There were only four cables, two on each side. You yanked the first one out with minimal effort, and little consideration, only to be met with an arc of current that made your servo go numb. You winced and jolted upright, smashing your spinal strut against the underside of the desk. The consequences of your overreaction hurt more than the initial shock as you laid on the floor whimpering.

"Ughhh... W-what the frag." Kaon cursed in a groggy mumble, roused by your antics. 

The mech shuffled in his seat and scooted back to scan under the console with his sightless gaze. You tensed up, expecting him to be angry but the ire in his field swiftly flickered to concern.

"What are you doing down there?" He asked in a soft tone, vocalizer wrought with exhaustion as he offered a servo to help you up.

You accepted his servo without thinking. Kaon's expression became remorseful as he caught sight of your crumpled wrist plating. He kept silent as he brought you back up on your pedes. The mech seemed anxious as he disconnected himself from the console and stood next to you.

"Erm… Um… You need to go have a proper recharge." You squeaked, trying to find a way to tell him without sounding concerned but it only made things worse as you stumbled over your words.

"We can go do that, but…" He held out his arm in front of you as if he wanted you to grab a hold of his wrist "…I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't mean to hurt you earlier. If you don't forgive me that's fine… You can crush it if you want. Will that make you feel better?"

You were taken aback by his request. Sheepishly, your gaze darted between Kaon and the floor. Was he serious? The was a pang of sadism in your spark that encouraged you to take up his offer. Quivering, you placed your servo over his wrist.

"A-are you sure?" You gave him the opportunity to back out.

"Yes! Or, if you want, we can get Helex to do it… It'd probably hurt a lot more. That'd be better, wouldn't it?" Kaon offered darkly.

No, Helex would have been too much! With a grimace, you tightened your grasp as hard as you could. Your servo was shaking from the exertion, but there was barely a dent in the crimson mech's plating. Kaon looked underwhelmed by your effort as his lips curled into a faint smile. It ignited a furor in your processor. You softened your grip, sliding your servo further up his arm and holding it in place. There was no thought… No reflection on how potentially stupid your idea was as you opened your intake and clamped your dentae across Kaon's wrist with the ferocity of a wild beast. He tasted bitter… The metal crumpled around the force your bite, eliciting a painful gasp from Kaon that trailed off into a quiet moan.

"S-sorry!" You squeaked, backing off from the mech as you blushed softly.

"Don't be sorry." His smile was delicate as he observed the damage to his wrist; the distorted metal carrying a clear bite stamp with missing flakes of paint "I'm surprised. Can't say I expected that from you."

Your spark sank at the comment. Before you could blabber off an explanation, Kaon chuckled and gently patted your helm. There was no malice in his touch and overall the mech seemed pleased by your unorthodox actions. You were glad that he wasn't angry at you, but something felt off.

Kaon was quick to distance himself from the awkward situation and fixated his hollow gaze on the cake you had set down when you first came in. Helex's treats never went unnoticed. The mech's field prickled with slight disappointment upon realizing there was only a single piece of the dessert.

"You shouldn't eat that in here. I don't want crumbs getting in the console." He warned gently.

"We shouldn't eat it in here… Helex only gave one piece for both of us. You can just have it if you want it that badly." You grinned reaching for the morsel and relinquishing it to Kaon, much to the dismay of your hungering tank.

"No no, we can share it." The mech chimed with happy resolve.

You were afraid he was going to say that. Kaon eagerly took your servo with his free arm and escorted you to the upper levels of the bridge, being careful to slow his stride as you struggled to make it up the stairs in the dim light. 

You had never been on the observation deck. It was an immense platform that spanned the top floor and looked over the bridge. The ship's massive windows were in full view and painted the area in brilliant starlight. It was easy to be mesmerized by the beauty of it as you watched the stellar glow gently move around the ship while it continued along its course.

Kaon sat you down at a small table that was positioned in the middle of the deck, trying to optimize the view. Carefully, he maneuvered one of the utensils to cut the cake slice cleanly in half before handing the other one to you. His smile was borderline timid as he waited for you to take the first bite of the dessert. You didn't budge until the mech turned his head towards the window before you indulged in the snack. A tiny squeak of joy burst uncontrollably from your vocalizer as you stuffed your intake with the cake; its soft sweetness lingering delectably on your glossa. Never in your life had anything ever tasted so good. Your attempt to quiet yourself was in vain as you happily munched down another forkful. Kaon chuckled softly at your zeal, causing you to momentarily freeze up in embarrassment.

"It's nice up here, isn't it? It's quiet and tucked away, so you can escape from your troubles. The stars are always so pretty too." Kaon commented dreamily.

"Yeah, they look wonderful." You replied between stuffing your intake with cake when a grim thought crossed your processor.

How… How was he seeing the stars? Kaon had told you how his vision worked, it was more like keen radar than actual sight. You nearly choked at the realization and dropped your utensil. It clattered off the table and over the ledge onto the floor below. You glanced down and grimaced, but there was a more pressing matter at hand.

"Wait! Can you see them?" Your vocalizer crackled as you found yourself leaning over the table at the mech.

"Hmm? No, they're much too far away but I _remember_ what they look like, so I imagine they're still beautiful." He answered with a faint hint of longing to his voice.

Your lips fell open in a dull gasp, but no words could be salvaged from your thoughts. Something sharp clenched at your spark and you felt a deep stab of pity for Kaon. He was missing out on so much. The observation deck was nothing more than a dark, peaceful, place for him; unaware of the iridescent beauty cast upon it. The light show put on by the passing stars was for your enjoyment alone. Silently, you slunk back into your seat unsure of what to say without sounding inconsiderate. A few awkward moments passed as you watched Kaon dig into his portion of the cake; sorely missing your fork.

You leaned back in your seat and kept your optic focused on the stars as they drifted peacefully across the windows. A soft sigh left your vocalizer in an unconscious attempt to stave off the embarrassing silence that washed over the room. It was painfully obvious that Kaon was trying to treat the scene like it was some kind of romantic occasion, though you had soiled it with your gluttony. Ridiculously dorky and cliche were the only words to describe it. The little retreat would have been mildly endearing, had it not been for events that took place prior that evening.

"Do you want the rest?" Kaon broke the silence.

His words were abrupt and lacked any tact, complicating the amorous atmosphere he had attempted to set up. You couldn't fight your slight chuckle and gave the mech a dismissive wave with your servo.

"Hmmm? I'm fine. I dropped my fork anyway." You tried to excuse yourself.

He leaned his frame over the tiny table and brandished a scoop of the decadent dessert on his utensil. Kaon offered the morsel of cake towards you with a shy smile.

"Are you sure? You only had like three bites." He teased, enticingly wiggling the fork in front of your face.

Kaon's intentions were painfully obvious You blushed at the gesture, well aware of its undertones. As much as you hated to admit it, you were inclined to take up the mech's offer. Biting down on your lip, your expression became a sheepish and twisted mess. The tip of your wing visibly twitched in turmoil as your processor pondered the options. It'd probably be a while before Helex baked anything again, and there was no guarantee it'd be the same treat… But taking the cake from Kaon… Taking it like that would have been humiliating submission.

The mech twirled the utensil for a few more nano-kliks before putting on a slight pout at your lack of enthusiasm for the cake. Kaon slowly drew the fork back and attempted to slink over to his side of the table. He didn't have a problem keeping the rest of the dessert to himself, but your voracity wouldn't allow that to happen. Before the mech could fully retreat, you sprung at him. You nearly fell as you struggled to balance your precariously leaning frame on a single servo; wing standing at attention while you locked your lips around the mech's cutlery and stole his precious cake.

Kaon's lips curled into a beaming smile. Your act had flustered him as he burst out into poorly stifled laughter. He tried to regain some composure, shyly hiding his face behind his free servo as he reclined an elbow against the table for support.

"You've been so bold tonight! It's really cute…" The last string of Kaon's response trailed off into a nearly inaudible whisper as if the mech was bashful of his choice of words.

Kaon abruptly plucked the empty fork from your intake, snapping you out of your gluttonous frenzy. Your audials barely registered his words as you wobbled with devastating embarrassment. You would have face-planted onto the remainder of the cake, had Kaon not caught your cheek plate tenderly in his servo. All your attempts at subtle rebellion had only served to please the eccentric mech. Everything was perfectly orchestrated and you had fallen into his grasps. You sighed at your awkward position and narrowed your brow into a perturbed glower, which only made Kaon offer you another bite full of the dessert. Reluctantly you accepted, allowing several more scoops of the sweet to breach your lips. Squeaking, you clenched your optic shut and tried to enjoy the last few bits of cake without consideration for your unsavoury situation, though it was impossible to ignore the pressure of Kaon's servo as he gently held your face.

Moments passed without another morsel. You pursed your lips in greedy expectation.

You heard the empty utensil click against the plate and felt the mech's servo brush against your other cheek. Kaon held you delicately as he drew near. You didn't dare open your optic; frame trembling in anticipation. It felt like an awkward eternity as a field of quivering hesitation washed over your sensors. Current prickled against your cheek plating, emanating from the mech's shaky servos. 

You squeaked in discomfort and tried to draw back but soft lips pressed against your right cheek, freezing you in your tracks. For a brief moment, your fields intertwined and resonated with a sheepish warmth that made your spark flutter. A foolish blush nullified your prior apprehension. The kiss was fleeting, barely lasting more than a nano-klik. A flurry of mixed emotion swirled in your processor as Kaon loosened his hold and his affection left your plating. You slunk back into your seat, face puffed up in a wry expression as you continued to be feverishly flushed; cheek tingling.

"W-what the hell was that?" You stammered with mock indignation, trying desperately to shield your embarrassment with anger as you shot the mech a perturbed glare.

Kaon looked flustered, his posture as stiff and unnatural; visage nearly as rosy as his crimson paint job. He parted his intake to speak but silenced himself several times before biting down on his lip.

"Have you never been kissed before?" He simpered sweetly.

You hadn't. There had been no time for forging affection when you had spent your entire life on the battlefield. Your only moments of peace had been in lonesome isolation. Despite this, it's not like you didn't know what a kiss was. Now you were upset, not from Kaon's assumption but because he had been your first. This mech who flipped between moods in a split moment, revelled in his murderous escapades and had laid claim on your very life as if you were a simple animal… This was the first mech to ever show you any affection. You hated how fondly your frame would react to his touch. It was impossible to hide your blush or quiet your noisy cooling fans as they tried to calm your heated plating. You didn't want to like him.

"That's… T-t-that's none of your business…" You huffed, averting your gaze and crossing your arm across your torso; holding your side because you lacked another arm to provide support "Just… Ask next time, okay?"

"I'm sorry." Kaon apologized before poking his index servos against his cheeks, closing his optic lids and pursing his lips in a mock smooch "You were making such a cute kissy face at me. I thought you wanted to…"

"Pffft! I wanted more cake, not a kiss! You're terrible." Your vocalizer crackled as you tried to defend yourself.

Kaon coyly leaned on the table, resting his head in his servos as he grinned.

"Oh? I know I'm terrible." He chuckled softly before standing from his seat.

The crimson mech strode to your side and offered a servo to help you up. Without a thought, you accepted and were swiftly swept onto your pedes while being pulled close to his frame. You stumbled clumsily, smacking your helm against Kaon's chest and whimpering softly. He sighed, gently patting the top of your helm as he wrapped an arm around you and whisked you away from the observation deck.

\--

Both of you were sleepily silent as you trekked back to Kaon's habsuite. Any energy from your earlier romp had long left your frames. Without a word, Kaon lifelessly punched in the pin code for the room and slipped inside. You dragged your pedes in close behind him, not even bothering to turn on the lights as you flopped down onto the sofa. It had been an incredibly long day.

"Can I have the berth tonight?" Kaon asked from the shadows with a deep yawn; pedes clicking against the floor as he strolled towards the loft stairs.

For the past month, the mech had relinquished his cozy berth to you and resigned himself to the sofa. You blinked at his odd request. He didn't need to ask, it was his bed after all.

"Go ahead. You need a good recharge, you've been busting your aft." You waved at him but refused to budge from the sofa.

"Thank you. Charge well!" He chimed back in a voice that carried his smile, even though you couldn't see it in the dark, and made his way to bed.

The sofa wasn't too uncomfortable, but it was a far cry from the softness of Kaon's berth. You mumbled to yourself and shuffled around to find a cozy position. It was impossible. The cushions were rather narrow and didn't allow any relaxation for your wing, forcing it to be folded tightly against your frame unless you wanted to risk tumbling backwards off the couch. You groaned, scrunching up as you laid on your chest; there was no room to move. After laying restlessly for several cycles you begrudgingly sat up, stretching to alleviate your sore spinal strut. Longingly, your optic strayed towards the stairs leading up to the berth room that was illuminated in the dim starlight. You didn't want to give in to temptation, but there were no other options. The small berth under the porthole was already occupied by Kaon's turbo fox who slumbered peacefully in deep recharge. You shook your helm for even considering to take the pet's sleeping place and reluctantly clambered up the stairs. 

Apprehensively, you peeked around the corner of the staircase that led into the berthroom. Kaon had no modesty as he recharged and was sprawled across the middle of the berth, leaving you no space to sneak in. Honestly, you didn't blame him after he had spent so many nights sleeping on the cramped sofa. 

Quietly, you crept closer and blushed slightly at your plot. You just wanted to recharge comfortably and didn't want the mech getting the wrong idea. Thoughts like that were impossible to avoid in such an accommodation. With a deep vent of air, you shuffled onto the berth; nudging Kaon's arm aside and curling your frame to take up as little space as possible. Your right side was towards the edge of the berth as you laid on your chest and gently rested your left-wing atop the electric mech's frame. A tiny smile of relief curled your lip, grateful that Kaon was apparently a heavy recharger…

… That was until he placed a servo on the back of your neck cabling, nearly causing you to jump out of your plating. The mech murmured in his sleep and moved his digits in a gentle, petting, motion on your helm and neck. His servo slipped down to your audial as if to grasp at ears that weren't there. He must have thought you were the turbo fox. Your field became stressed as your frame froze, unable to choke back a small squeak. After a few moments of reaching for the non-existent appendage, Kaon flinched in confusion and flapped his servo clumsily across your shoulder before pinching at your wing. You yelped at his rough treatment of such sensitive plating and tried to jerk your wing away but ended up getting the flight surface caught against a notch in the mech's plating; waking him from his recharge.

"Wh-at… What are you doing here?" Kaon gasped groggily, hastily retreating his wandering servo as he shuffled his position to meet your gaze with his hollows.

"The sofa sucks… I didn't want to recharge on the floor." You whined in a near whisper.

"It's probably not very cozy when you have wings." He replied softly, shuffling to free your wing from his frame.

Kaon gained some semblance of composure, straightening his haphazard sleeping position and moving over to the far side of the berth by the window. His tired servo patted at the bedding, beckoning you to slumber more comfortably with the extra space. 

You obliged, draping your frame across the rest of the berth; sighing happily as you snuggled against the headrest.

The room was peacefully quiet and the mech drifted back into recharge without even saying goodnight to you. It was fine... You had expected Kaon to be clingy, as he often was, but in his sleep-deprived state he had other priorities and kept ample distance between your frames. There was a flicker deep down in your spark that compelled you to shuffle closer, longing for delicate intimacy. Sheepishly, you pressed yourself against Kaon's side and draped your wing over him. His plating was comfortably warm, filling your thoughts with fondness that made your processor dizzy. It felt good to recharge next to someone after spending so many nights alone.


	7. Gratuity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your morning is spoiled by an awful rumor floating around the ship. You wait patiently to confront Kaon about it, but the mech completely sidetracks your bold endeavor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;w; Sorry for the delay! I had to rewrite the chapter because I didn't like the original direction it was going in. The holidays were a super busy / shitty time for me and I just started another semester at college. Things should be back on schedule from here on out.
> 
> Chapter Warning: Kaon's being creepy but that's nothing new

You murmured, half asleep and groggy, as you shuffled on the berth. A strange sensation of warmth radiated over you. You grasped around blindly, trying to reach for Kaon's frame the mech was nowhere to be found. Hesitantly, you opened your optic and spied that you were alone in the room. 

Brilliant sunlight poured in from the window above. You took a tender moment to bask in its pleasant rays; sitting up with a comfortable, yawning stretch. The ship was planetside and, judging by the messages that flooded your comm line, the rest of the crew was out on one of their so-called hunts. Your frame shuddered violently and your tank churned at the mere thought of what they did. Kaon was always so enthusiastic and badgering to have you join them on an interrogation. You'd never indulge in his offers… It was difficult to process how the mech could leave you sweet messages of 'good morning' then happily chase down and brutalize unsuspecting renegades. You didn't want to dwell on it. Kaon's grim occupation terrified you far more than you'd care to admit. 

Shaking the dark thoughts from your processor, you made your way down to the main level of the habsuite. A can of energon and a trio of three petite cubes had been set aside on the galley counter. Your cheek plating became flushed with a subtle blush upon catching sight of them. It was a simple gesture but Kaon always took care to ensure you had rations after recharging, especially if he had other things to do in the morning. 

You placed your meal on the coffee table and cozily seated yourself on the sofa. It took a few minutes of fumbling with the can to open it since you only had one servo. The tab peeled back with a satisfying hiss, triggering a mechanism that heated the container until the energon mixture became torrid and steamy. You took a moment to enjoy the delightful aroma before bringing the beverage to your eager lips.

[[Ha ha! What the frag happen'd last night? Kaon's showin' off that bite ya gave 'em!]] A comm from Helex pinged through your line.

You flinched violently; spilling your scorching drink across your frame. Sickening embarrassment festered into absolute dread and, for a split moment, you felt as if your spark had been extinguished. Honestly, you wished it had. You couldn't bring yourself to eat the rest of your breakfast and set it aside. Thoughts and excuses swirled in your processor, but none of them felt right. Nothing you could say would save you from the shame, so you chose not to reply to him.

You wanted to curl back into bed, forgetting about last night and writing off the rest of the day. That was until your comm line lit up with another message.

[[Come here.]] It was from Nickel.

The minuscule medic hadn't messaged you since she first restored your comm lines. Despite your extended stay aboard the Peaceful Tyranny, you rarely crossed paths with her since she was always caught up fixing something or someone. Nickel's message was abrupt and to the point. You bit down on your lip, knowing that someone told her what had happened… Or at least whatever side of the story Kaon had told them. She must have been incredibly worried. Without hesitation, you left the habsuite and sped towards the med bay. You never thought you'd be going there willingly.

\---

Nickel spent the first few minutes of your visit throwing every insult in the galaxy your way. She masked her concern with exasperated anger, but it simmered out into a kind smile as she examined your crumpled wrist.

"...Honestly, I'm glad you're ok." Nickel sighed.

She attached a suction cup to the dented plating, twisting it into a locked position and pulling back on it with all her might. You yelped sharply as your armor popped back into place.

"Oh, shush! We have four more to go." She scolded your sensitivities and continued to work.

You tried to hold back your whimpering, but your discomfort fell on deaf audials. Nickel made quick work of your repairs. The plating along your wrist looked almost as good as new, aside from a few paint scuffs. The minicon grinned at you and flicked you for good measure; eliciting one final wince. 

"That's all the bastard did, right?" Nickel probed, furrowing her brow with scrutiny as her optics scanned over your frame.

"Hmm? Yeah, why? I was being an aft and pissed him off. I guess it was an accident, but Helex told me n-" 

"Accident or not, he still hurt you." Nickel cut you off and shook her helm "…Is that why you bit him? The idiot called it a _love_ bite though..."

"A WHAT?!" You squealed with crippling humiliation, almost jumping on the poor minicon.

Your cheeks were as rosy as a cube of energon and your cooling fans clicked on with an embarrassing drone. You covered your face with your servo but there was nothing you could do to hide your shame. It didn't help that Nickel began to quietly giggle at your displeasure.

"Aaaa! It wasn't a love bite! He… He wanted me to hurt him…"

"Ooh, I did not need to know that." She interrupted with a sarcastic scoff.

"No no! Not… Not like that! He thought it'd make me feel better about what happened. I didn't want to, he was gonna get Helex to do it if I didn't. " You sighed, venting heated air from the core of your frame. 

"Hah! I would've had to get the fragger a whole new arm if you'd let Helex chomp on him. So you saved my aft there." Nickel rolled her optics as if similar misadventures had happened in the past.

You chuckled, unsure of what to say. Averting your gaze, you focused your optic on random fixtures in the room in an attempt to distract yourself and cool down. It wasn't working…

"Do you know… Why he called it that?" You tried to pry for information, eager to know what horrible story Kaon had told her.

"Oh, the love bite? Nope! I didn't even get to see them before they went off on the hunt today. I'm just telling you what Helex told me." She smirked deviously.

Your lip quivered as you bit down on your glossa. Part of your processor wondered if it was all a ruse; nothing more than a cruel joke just to get you riled up and embarrassed. You had enough trust in Nickel to know that she wouldn't lie about such things, but Helex… Helex was questionable.

"Aaaa… I'll have to kick their afts for lying when they get back." You teased with a delicate smile.

"Pffft! You go right ahead. Let me know how that goes." Nickel jeered at your idle threat and then began to clean up the operating theatre.

It was a subtle sign that she wanted you to leave. You gave her a wave of goodbye and went on your way.

\---

Idly, you paced around the entryway of the ship for what felt like cycles. The comm lines were oddly quiet and claws of concern began to squeeze at your spark. Their hunt was taking longer than usual… You hated it, but you were worried about them. You balled your servo into a tight fist and bit down on the knuckles of your digits as your anxiety heightened with each passing nano-klik.

A mechanical hiss shattered the stifling silence as the ship's aperture gave way. Your audials perked as the group's rowdy voices trespassed the threshold. They were always so ecstatic after striking another bot off the list. It was sickening.

The Pet was the first to greet you, dragging his hefty leash behind him without his master. The turbo fox bounded over in a frenzy, yipping noisily and nuzzling you; wiping off traces of spilled energon against your legs. You cringed and patted the beast's head. He whined happily, wagging his tail and adorably flopping on the floor in expectation of more affection. You knelt beside him and gently brushed your servo down his bristly frame. 

"Ah ha! Sorry to keep you waiting!" Kaon's jubilant voice echoed through the hall, shortly followed by the hurried clatter of his pedes as he rushed over to you "It was a bit of a rough one, but I brought you something nice to make up for it."

The crimson mech had his arms tucked behind his back and coyly rocked on his heels. His smile was painfully sincere while his field oozed with so much joy it was borderline intoxicating. You didn't know what Kaon could have obtained from a crime scene that would have put him in such a good mood, let alone being something he wanted to give you. You choked back your apprehension and returned a smile.

"You didn't have to." A feeble excuse squeaked past your lips.

"Mhm! I know, but you've been so _good_ lately. You deserve a present." There was a lingering hint of sadism to Kaon's words that sounded utterly perverse as it mingled with his happy tone.

"It's fine, I-" 

"Ya know, it's rude to reject a gift." Helex huffed, trudging into the lobby alongside the remainder of the DJD.

"Ooooh, yes. Such a nice little gift for such a good little bot. Kaon nearly spent a cycle picking it out for you." Tarn's captivating vocals purred into your audials.

Tesarus and Vos both nodded in agreement with their compatriots. Kaon loomed closer, smiling so hard you were expecting his blushing cheek plates to crack under the strain.

"S-sorry. It's probably wonderful, isn't it?" You apologized, reluctantly extending your servo to accept whatever grisly gift Kaon was insistent on giving you.

"Close your optic, please." The electric mech's voice was reassuringly soft.

Taking a deep breath, you obeyed without further protest and shut your optic. The fields of all the mechs around you radiated with curious excitement; hinging on your reaction. You wanted to peek as the nano-kliks ticked by. What was taking him so long? You squirmed impatiently. You could feel the warmth of the mech's servos pass near your frame, skipping over your open digits as something soft cinched around your neck cables.

Instantly, your optic flashed open as your spark raced with horror. You tried to pull back but Kaon had you tethered. A collar… The deranged mech had put a collar on you. You felt like an animal, but it was so much worse than that. The neckband was made out of flexible metal and coated in a jet black organic material. Two rows of soft pink lighting bordered the edges, while a single line of lights glistened dully from within. It sported a sturdy ring at the front which was looped with small charm and a thin cord that Kaon held deviously in his servos. He gently tugged on your leash, forcing your face up towards his. You blushed in a feverish mix of trepidation and something darker that prickled at the back of your thoughts. A silly smile nervously cracked across your lips. You didn't know how to react.

"Do you like it?" The crimson mech cooed happily as his coils danced with sparks.

You couldn't lie, you were terrible at it. Kaon always knew when you were trying to deceive him and it'd snub out any pleasantries in his mood. It wasn't worth the risk but your vocalizer was silent.

"Ooo ooo! Tell 'em what it does!" Helex piped up, happily clapping his smaller set of servos together.

Kaon sighed at the blue brute, shaking his helm before returning his full attention to you. The lighting in the room uncomfortably caught his void hollows, illuminating the inner workings of his orbits. You grimaced and averted your optic, but the mech placed a servo on your chin and forced you to meet his empty gaze.

"Well, Helex spoiled the surprise." The electric mech put on an exaggerated pout which was quickly swapped with a wry smirk "It's nothing bad, really, as long as you're well behaved... Oooo, and you'll have to come on the next hunt! You might get quite the _jolt_ if you wander too far away from me." 

Momentarily your systems froze up, before utter dismay restarted your stalled spark. That fragging bastard had put a shock collar on you! The irony was lost on your hazy processor. Get it off! Something primitive deep in your thoughts screamed at you. Ravenously, you pulled on the collar and sunk your steely dentae into the soft material but it wouldn't budge. The neckband appeared to be one solid piece, lacking any fasteners that would have allowed it to come apart.

Kaon's smile didn't erode as he watched you struggle. He probably thought it was cute and did nothing to stop you. Lubricant pooled at the corners of your optics as the collar cut against your cheek plating. Whimpering, you realized the futility of the situation and winded down. 

"Aw, don't wreck it! There's no reason to cry, it looks so adorable on you." 

"A-adorable?" You squeaked numbly, letting the collar fall from your gnawing intake.

"Oh yes, most certainly! You'd probably be better off with a muzzle, but this is far more charming." His ecstatic tone dropped down into a luxurious whisper as his words lapped against your audio receptors "May I?"

Without thinking you gave a tiny nod, unsure of what Kaon was asking for. He chuckled softly in response, giving your quivering helm a comforting pat before planting a delicate kiss on your cheek. It was easy to get lost in the warmth of his silken lips. Your spark fluttered happily and for a fleeting moment, your unsettling reality ceased to exist.

" ҉̡̧̡ ͝͞ ̸͟͢͢ ̡̛͠͡ ̴͘ ̵̴̢̕ ̶͘ ̸̕͢͟ ̨̢͡͞ ̷̡̢ ̶͘͘҉ ̴̧̧͝ ͏ ҉̵͢͏ ͟҉̢͠ ̶̨͝ ̶̶͢ ̨͠ ̕ ̡͢ ͢ ҉̕͝͏͜ ͞҉̡ ̴͟͠ ̴ ͏̡ ̵̸͘ ̶͢͞ ̵̴̛ ̵̴҉̕ ̡̢̢͠͏ ̷̛͝ ̢̛͏͞ ̶͜͟ ̢̛͜!"Vos snarled an incoherent obscenity at the display of affection.

Everyone gasped, seemingly offended by whatever vitriol he had just spewed. You didn't understand a single word, but an overwhelming feeling of shame blanketed your field… They had all watched Kaon kiss you.

Kaon abruptly drew back from his kiss, nearly snapping his neck cabling as he glowered at the wiry rifle mech. He narrowed his hollows into an intense glare; cheeks flushed with embarrassment. The coils on his shoulders arced dangerously and lit up the air with intense sparks. Electricity licked at your frame, stinging like subtle pinpricks against your armor as you tried to back away but your leash kept you dangerously close. 

"Vos! Ya can't just say slag like that!" Helex hissed, picking up the lanky miscreant and reaching to cover his non-existent intake but it was far too late.

Vos squirmed like a rabid beast in the grasps of the larger mech, slinging insults all the while. His fiery optics were venomous slits that oozed intense malice and they were locked solely on you. Jealousy… Vos was jealous of you. His field was burning with such intense envy that you could feel it scalding your spark.

"Oh, shush. I think they're cute." Tesarus commented with a faint smile; unfazed by Vos' outburst.

"Indeed, but Vos does have a point… We had an agreement, Kaon. Please don't get too amorous with your little plaything outside of your quarters unless you want to _share_." Tarn chided darkly, wagging one of his digits in a scolding manner.

"U-understood." Kaon's normally smooth voice crackled with static and bashful remorse.

It was bizarre to see the imposing mech suddenly act so timid; broken by Tarn's meagre discipline. The concept of being shared made your tank churn. Your frame began to tremble, unable to shake the morbid thought. Emitting a soft squeak, you leaned forward and wrapped your arm around Kaon in a haphazard hug. He returned the motion and swept you up with a gentle embrace. 

"Would you like to go for a walk? You've been cooped up on the ship for so long." Kaon offered kindly, ignoring the rest of the crew's jeering.

At this point, he wanted to get away from them just as much as you did. You nodded quietly, fearful that opening your intake would have caused you to purge your tank. Too feeble to hold up your helm, you allowed yourself to rest it against Kaon's shoulder as he carried you. The mech's coil was dangerously close but you didn't care. You didn't care that he still had you bound with a collar. All you wanted was some fresh air.


	8. Ghost Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the uproar on the ship, Kaon goes on a walk with you to help clear your processor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Mild Naughty Talk | Implied Poly | Non-Sexual PNP

After being trapped on the Peaceful Tyranny for so long without reprieve, you had nearly forgotten how pleasant fresh air was. The mild atmosphere relaxed your tense frame, allowing your upset tank to settle down. You dragged a deep intake; engine purring with content efficiency as you nestled against Kaon’s frame.

The ship had landed in a small forested clearing that was barely big enough to hold the massive craft. Within moments of stepping off the gangway foliage blanketed the two of you. The plant life gently pulsated with veins of ghostly white bio-lighting that glimmered vibrantly in a sea of deep blue leaves. You must have been on colony planet in the process of being cyber-formed. 

A gasp left your vocalizer as you struggled to take in the scenery's beauty. Kaon grinned at your reaction and slowed his gait, giving you more time to soak up the landscape.

“I have no idea what Vos was saying back there, but Tarn wasn’t serious about sharing, was he?” You idly piped up, tugging on your collar’s tether as you tried to reflect on the prior commotion.

“Oh, Vos is just a little jealous… But don’t worry your precious little processor, I wouldn’t dare share you.” The mech responded with a warm smile.

“Why would he be jealous? You weren’t fragging him, were you?” You mustered the courage to make a lewd quip and smirked deviously.

“I mean… I haven’t been interfacing with anyone since I brought you aboard.” Kaon’s soft smile cracked into a nervous grin as he replied to your query with painful honestly.

Your face plates warped into a surprised expression; caught between horror and disgust. _There’s no way… _Your processor stalled in utter disbelief and each ticking moment of silence felt increasingly painful. Raunchy curiosity eroded your dismay, but you didn’t dare press the mech any further.

“Kaon!” You choked between stifled giggles.

“What?” He smirked “Do you know how hard it was to convince them you weren’t _another_ frag toy?”

“By the Pits you guys are awful!” You squeaked with a flustered blush.

You had always assumed the DJD got up to unsavoury things, so it didn’t come as a surprise, but hearing Kaon talk about it so nonchalantly made your frame crawl with sickening thoughts. A violent shiver rocked your spinal strut. You wanted the mech to set you down…

As if sensing your discomfort, Kaon swiftly placed you on your pedes before you could even ask. He lovingly patted the top of your helm. There was a gentle static that radiated from his palm and made your plating tingle, causing your wing tip to shudder. With a huff, you strode in front of the mech to distance yourself from him. You had only taken ten steps before tension pulled against your neck cabling. Glancing back, you spied Kaon smiling sheepishly while he held tight on your leash; refusing to let you stray too far from him. He gave the tether a gentle pull for good measure, delighting in how it elicited a sharp whimper from you vocalizer before he walked up to you.

“Why do you even bother with that if it’s a shock collar?” You sighed, trying to mask your embarrassment with an irksome tone but your frustrated field was impossible to cover up.

“Sssh, that was going to be a surprise_._” Kaon cooed darkly “Though, personally, I think this is a better method of keeping you close. It’s far more cute.”

“Cute? Ah, it’s um… Well… You know…” You stammered, twirling the leash between your servos while your cheeks became heated.

The entire get up was perverse.

“Aw! If it _bothers_ you that much, you can take it off.” Kaon cooed.

“W-wait, what?” You spun around to face the mech.

His response caught you off guard. You had expected him to be angry with you, but his field radiated with suffocating endearment. Kaon leaned down to your level and pulled back on a small button to unhook the tether from your collar. That was it… Even with one servo you could have freed yourself. Your processor jittered, causing to you to mutter incoherently as embarrassment overtook you. 

The mech wrapped the leash around his arm to stow it away. With a pleasant smile, Kaon held you in a snug embrace and nuzzled his face plating against the top of your helm.

“I wouldn’t want you to hate me over such a silly thing.” His soothing words hummed softly against your audials and lingered with genuine worry.

“I… I don’t hate you.” You mumbled, wanting to choke back your words as your spark and processor screamed conflicting signals at you.

You _should_ have hated him, there were plenty of reasons to. He was villainous even by Decepticon standards but yet you found yourself enamoured by Kaon's fondness towards you. The way he awkwardly attempted to garner your affection was cheekily charming. It was a sick bragging right that a member of the DJD had become infatuated with you rather than wanting to gut your spark.

“You’re just a tiny bit terrible.” You softened your statement with an amicable giggle, returning Kaon’s hug.

“Only a tiny bit? Oh my, we can’t have that! ‘Bots will think I’ve gone soft. You must help me become more menacing.” Kaon teased with a playful growl, tightening his embrace.

“No! You’re frightening enough as it is. Trust me.” You yelped, wiggling and writhing in the mech’s grasps.

Kaon chuckled and let you go. Despite his jovial field, he wore a coy smirk as he offered you his servo.

“There’s something _neat_ I want to show you before we head back.” The mech gestured with borderline impatience; evidently he was getting comm’d to cut his walk short.

You gave Kaon a wry look. What could a _blind_ mech possibly show you? It must have been another cheeky attempt at a romantic set up, but you indulged in his offer. Kaon’s field instantly lit up with warmth. Electricity danced on his coils for a nano-klik and you swore you felt his spark flutter as he clasped his servo around yours. He was easy to please.

\---

It wasn't long before the two of you came across a small hollow. The remains of a once massive tree had left behind a hefty stump that shimmered with intricate rings of bio-lighting. It was a mesmerizing throne coated in silvery overgrowth; seamlessly blending mechanical and organic life. 

"Honestly, I was half expecting you to show me the bot you guys killed earlier." You snickered, ruining the majesty of the scenery; you felt guilty for assuming the worst.

"Pffft! Who do you think I am? Vos?" Kaon scoffed in exaggerated dismay but quickly smiled and patted your shoulder before you could get the wrong idea.

You shook your helm and walked closer to the fallen tree, standing on the tips of your pedes and peeking over the stump. The organic platform was level with your optics; there was no way you could climb it. Without a word, Kaon let go of your servo and grasped the lower section of your waist. A panicked squeak escaped your intake as the mech hoisted you upward. It was only a nano-klik before Kaon clambered up to join you. There was hardly enough space for both of your frames and you awkwardly squirmed your way across the mech’s lap to avoid falling.

“So… What’s so neat about a stump?” You quipped slyly.

“Hmm? Oh no, I just wanted somewhere nice to sit down.” Kaon replied, pulling you into an embrace so you sat upright against his frame.

It was difficult not to blush. You’d sat on his lap countless times back on the ship as he worked tirelessly at the communications console, but this was different. The demands of his occupation no longer burdened Kaon’s processor, and you were the focal point of his attention. The mech’s frame was comfortable and warm; easing your weary spark.

“What is it then? Do you have a surprise? Maybe a _good _one this time.” You half chuckled, pulling at the collar around your neck cables.

“Have some patience.” Kaon sighed as he drew your servo back.

You froze up, blushing feverishly as you lapsed into silence. A faint click emanated from the mech’s frame as something fine prodded the sides of your torso; seeking the seams in your plating. You let out a sharp gasp and struggled to flee in alarm, but Kaon held you still. A pair of sleek cables flicked out from behind you and wiggled playfully; they were the same instruments he had used to plug into the console back on the ship.

“Aaah! What the frag are you trying to do?!” You squabbled and shot the mech a bitter glare.

Kaon appeared genuinely confused by your response, his smirk folding into a frown as he held you tight.

“Calm down.” The mech hushed in a scolding tone, but he didn’t dare raise his voice at you “You’ve never linked up with anyone before, have you?” 

“N-no? I always thought it was for…” You bit your lip and choked out the last word in a sheepish whisper “… Interfacing.”

Kaon suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. It was embarrassing, but you were glad no one else was around to listen in on your awkward conversation. The mech flicked the side of your helm to punish you for jumping to such lewd conclusions. 

“Your processor is always in the gutter! It’s useful for other things too. Please let me _show_ you.” He begged, words dripping with desperation.

You bit down on your lip. It was difficult to trust the mech with such an intimate connection. Despite your nervousness there was a burning curiosity that pushed you onward. With a tremendous sigh, a single link cable emerged from the left side of your frame. You brandished the connector threateningly and poked it against Kaon’s cheek.

“Fine, but I get to plug in first! O-okay?” Your vocalizer crackled under the stress of uttering such lurid words. 

“Go ahead.” Kaon chuckled softly.

Your connector wormed it’s way down his frame and snapped into a corresponding port on his side. There was a sharp jolt of static as your processor lit up with a flurry of scattered thoughts making you deliriously dizzy. Shakily, you held onto Kaon’s servo for support and leaned back against him. You didn’t even notice the mech linking his cables into your frame. Suddenly, the mental haze lifted and ushered in serene clarity. Every thought and feeling between the two of you was laid bare and painfully vulnerable.

“Oooo, this is weird.” You mumbled, refusing to let go of his servo.

“Just close your optic and relax.” Kaon’s exquisite voice echoed between your audials and processor.

You couldn’t discern whether the mech had actually spoken to you or had wired his vocals directly into your processor. With a nod, you shut your optic and tried to clear your mind. Kaon cupped a servo across your optics for good measure, ensuring you couldn’t peek. 

Current coursed through your frame, kicking your entire system into overdrive. There was no pain, but your spark was racing dangerously and you could not move. Thankfully, the spasm only lasted a nano-klik.

Abruptly the darkness around you burst with shimmering crimson scan lines that hugged the contours of the terrain. The once barren landscape transformed into a glittering display of neon lights. Silver shimmers spiraled out from the roots under your pedes and poured into every tree, down to the smallest of leaves. Each passing wash of radar caused luminous flickers to dance delicately around your shared visual field. The biological portions of the forest were cloaked under the secrecy of inky shadows but you could_ see _the entirety of your frame and Kaon’s, albeit devoid of any color. Curiously, you smiled and were greeted by your own expression in real time. It was all alluringly alien to your sensors.

You tried to form a comment but you couldn’t bring any words to your lips. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it? You can _see_ everything.” Kaon hummed happily.

“It’s wonderful! Is this how you normally see things?” You asked shyly.

“Ah, yes! I’d never given this a try with anyone before and-”

The ping of a comm line shattered the tranquility between your systems. The message wasn’t meant for you but, with your connection, you were privy to scan its contents… Had Kaon given you the chance to. In a scrambled haste, the mech disconnected and manually removed your cable; rendering you momentarily blind before your optic came back online. He froze up and his field became saturated with utter dismay. Straightening his posture, Kaon turned his hollow gaze back towards the ship and any amount of joy faded from his expression.

“Tarn’s threatening to leave without us. We need to go.” Kaon sulked through a shy grin, disappointed that his moment with you had been cut short.

It had barely been half a cycle, but it was understandable that the crew needed to get moving. You still found it strange that a simple reprimand from Tarn was enough to humble the normally brazen mech. There was a pang of empathy building in your spark that urged you to cheer him up. You sat up on your knees and pivoted around to face the mech; draping your thighs over his. The pose was more risque than intended, but you gave Kaon a heartfelt hug to lighten his sour mood. Kaon returned your embrace and curved down as if to kiss your helm. Instead, he haphazardly swept you up against his frame and departed from the ethereal forest throne. You squeaked, tightly clinging onto him for dear life. Kaon’s lanky build allowed him to be shockingly swift on his pedes as he dashed back to the ship.

"Primus! Do you have another target lined up already?" You beamed curiously, swatting branches away from your helms as Kaon rushed back.

"No, we're not going on another hunt. The ship's running low on supplies so we need to return to base." Kaon informed without missing a step.

“You guys have a base?” You queried.

“Yes, of course. Our operations are quite covert, we can’t be fueling up at random pit stops. Besides, it will be nice to take a bit of a break.” He replied with a hint of yearning.

The grove of leaves gave way to a familiar ship; its violet hue interrupting the sea of blue foliage. Thankfully, the gangway was still open and the two of you hurriedly sped inside.

No one was in the entryway to greet you, besides Kaon’s pet sparkeater. The turbofox whined happily upon your arrival and jumped up at his master. He nibbled curiously at the leash wrapped around Kaon’s arm, turning his fiery optics upon you as he caught your scent on the tether. The fox yipped frantically and ran tight circles around your legs.

“It’s ok. Did you miss us?” You cooed, leaning down to pet the agitated beast.

The pet recoiled from your touch and emitted a low growl. All you saw out of the corner of your optic was a flurry of razor-sharp teeth before your face slammed against the floor of the ship. You piteously cried out, spark racing with fear as you struggled to push the beast off of you. He didn’t bite you… His muzzle snapped around the collar Kaon had put on you. The beast thrashed around twice before his master pulled him off.

“What the slag has gotten into you!?” The mech cursed and held the turbofox at bay.

The pet whimpered, as if trying to excuse his actions before drooping his audials and quietly sitting down. His feral gaze locked onto your frame once more. You met his optics only to find that they lacked envy; instead radiating with profound anguish that chilled your spark to the core.

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry.” Kaon apologized, helping you up and running a servo across your tender cheek plating.

“Y-y-yeah. I’m fine.” You sighed, unable to break optic contact with the beast.

“It looks like you can’t escape jealousy, _my dear_.” The mech smirked wolfishly, gently tilting your helm and forcibly averting your gaze.


	9. Fever Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Messatine brings only misery as you find yourself locked away with a cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh, some naughty stuff actually happens this chapter? What is this blasphemy?
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Lewd Thoughts | Oral | Sticky Interfacing | Cute Awkward Stuff  
(Please note that I write Cybertronians as having both a spike and a valve, since this appears to be the fandom norm. Super sorry if you're not into that kind of thing! ;w;)

Of all the planets for a base, Messatine was surely the worst. It was a barren wasteland devoid of any life. Only the howling wind stirred across the motionless landscape; whipping once gentle snow into unforgiving shards of ice. 

You had never seen snow before arriving here, and already it earned a loathsome place in your spark. From the moment your pedes first touched the substance, you could not shake the cold from your frame. There was no escape from the frigid temperature, not even inside the base. You weren’t built to withstand winter.

\--

Time ceased to exist as you laid curled up on Kaon’s berth. For the last week this had been your home. You cloaked yourself in a hefty blanket made up of hexagonal metallic patches; the interior glowing with fiery warmth. It was the only thing that stopped your frame from being wracked with violent shivers. Your processor was a constant haze of frigid grogginess, but you were getting better. 

You _assumed_ you were getting better. It was nothing contagious, Nickel declared, which brought you reprieve from the uncomfortable isolation of the med bay. You needed to rest, but your inactivity made you feel like a burden on the crew. Useless… You knew it was true and desperately tried to banish the thought as you pulled your quilt over your helm. With a tired hum, you tugged at the collar Kaon left bound around your neck cables. He refused to remove it, no matter how much you begged him. Despite the allegation that it was a shock collar, the mech could stray from your side with no repercussions. You wanted to believe it was all a ruse. The choker’s rings of light were snuffed out upon the onset of your illness and made you assume it had just been disabled.

Something pawed against your blanketed audial and let out a worried yip. Despite the prior incident aboard the ship, the pet refused to leave your side. He was adamantly protective of you in your sickly state and nestled close to keep you warm. You didn’t mind the vulpine’s company; it kept you from feeling left behind while Kaon went about his work. Even in his absence, the mech doted on you tirelessly through the comm lines and would have sprung back to the room the moment you asked for him. 

Mumbling, you popped your helm out from the covers and snuggled up against the turbo fox. The beast responded with a nuzzle against your shoulder; draping his razor plumed tail over you to form a secondary blanket.

The pet jolted as the room’s door slid open with a hiss. He sat beside you and puffed up his chest plating as if seeking a reward for watching over you.

“Are you feeling any better?” Kaon’s smooth vocals carried across the chilly room and dissolved into your processor.

“Yea-” You couldn’t finish before a sharp cough choked up your intake; contradicting your words.

Several coughs hacked their way out of you as you struggled to sit up. The frigid air prickled against your armor, instantly causing you to shudder. With a woozy mumble you re-purposed your heating blanket into a haphazard cowl.

“Oh, you poor thing! Nickel said MTOs can sometimes have an adverse reaction to new environments, but you should be over it soon.” Kaon cooed with a gentle smile, setting the tray of goodies he’d brought down on the berth side table.

Your optic was swift to lock onto the platter. It was clean and clinical. A simmering bowl of fragrant soup took up the bulk of the space along with a tall glass of refined energon. Tucked behind the warm meal was a tiny transparent canister that held a pair of glowing blue pills. You wanted to ignore the medicine; it didn’t sit well with your tank and made your processor fuzzy before remedying your symptoms. 

The fuel had you too distracted to take notice of Kaon’s words at first, but your mood soured upon replaying them in your thoughts. Painful embarrassment crackled through your field. Nickel might have been a medic, but you didn’t think she had the authority to disclose such private things.

“A-ah, why would Nickel tell you that?” You queried through a shy grimace. 

“Sssh, don’t get upset. There’s no shame in being constructed cold, my dear.” Kaon’s tone oozed with sympathy as he crouched down and patted the top your helm.

A delicate murmur left your vocalizer as you leaned against the mech’s touch; longing for the cozy warmth of his servo. Kaon chuckled and maneuvered his digits over your cheek plating and under your chin. He gave you a coy look, expecting you to say something before he proceeded. You knew exactly what he wanted and nodded in compliance. A smile crossed your expression as you shut your optic and awaited his kiss. Kaon left your cheek plating bare as he planted his soft lips over yours, igniting your spark with a torrid flutter that nearly stalled your systems. Briefly Kaon’s lips departed, causing you to elicit a needy whimper as you pushed forward to pursue him. His field blossomed with a radiant tenderness that overwhelmed your flushed sensors as he returned your enthusiastic kiss. 

You were a blushing mess. Sultry prospects danced in your mind, kicking your cooling fans into overdrive. Kaon drew back from you with a smirk as he tucked your blanket tightly around your frame.

“Save your excitement for another day, what you need now is rest.” He teased cruelly.

You were about to protest, but a quiet growl from the pet interrupted your train of thought. You had forgotten the animal was sitting next to you and now felt awkward that he had watched the intimate display. Momentarily you swore the sparkeater’s crimson optics locked upon you with jeering disgust, but it was only your imagination.

Kaon instantly snapped his attention away from you and wrapped the beast in a hearty hug. The mech grinned, petting the turbo fox who then let out a happy bark and started wagging his tail.

“Oooo! He’s just grumpy because he’s been cooped up in the base for so long. I probably should take him for a walk.” Kaon’s voice was unbearably sweet as he addressed the pet.

The spark eater yipped at the prospect and bounded off the berth in a hurry. Whining, he padded back and forth in front of the door. His impatience was comically cute.

“We’ll only be a cycle or two.” Kaon chuckled, giving you a short-lived embrace before turning to leave “Please, just take it easy and hesitate to comm me if you need anything.”

Without a further word the mech and his turbofox departed, leaving you isolated in the berthroom.

Left to your own devices, you quickly set sight on the meal Kaon brought you. The soup was still piping hot and held a distinct spice that prickled your intake with each spoonful you dared to consume. It was obviously Helex’s work; he had taken it upon himself to cook up ungodly concoctions in a misguided attempt to cure you faster. You downed it quickly, each moment of wasted time only made the morsel burn hotter. Your tank became heated and radiated with a soft warmth that coursed through your chilled frame; the result was worth suffering through the spiciness. Next, the glass of energon cleansed your scorching glossa. You had nearly guzzled the whole thing before remembering that you still had medicine to take and scrambled to consume the pills. Even with something to drink, they felt hard to swallow.

You had been laying on the berth all day and were eager to stretch your struts, even if it was only for a moment. With unsteady pedes, you clambered out of bed and shuffled about the room. It was far larger than the one Kaon had aboard the ship and even came with its own personal wash rack. Nothing about the scenery piqued your interest any more; it had become your prison. 

A sigh left your lips as you stumbled towards the window. Traces of frost had built up on the glass of the porthole, making it difficult to see outside. The snow was billowing mercilessly. It was terrible weather to go out for a walk in. Deep down, you knew that Kaon only used it as an excuse to distance himself from you. Perhaps you were being too needy…

Thinking about it only made you miserable. With a grimace, you swayed back to bed and collapsed on top of it. The medicine had worked its grim magic as your frame heated up and sent you into whirling delirium. It was almost a pleasant sensation, but it was best to sleep it off. Mumbling to yourself, you threw your blanket back over your helm and tried to drift into recharge.

\--

The room was slowly spinning even as you laid still. A deep sigh left your intake as you swaddled your quilt tighter. Recharge would have been a godsend at this point.

A servo placed itself atop your shoulder and traced down your side until it came to rest on your hip. You squeaked and nearly jumped out of your plating. Had your audials deceived you? You had heard no one enter the room, let alone the sound of their pedes. The vertigo ceased entirely as the servo moved to wrap you in a tight embrace from the other side of the berth.

“K-kaon?” You muttered in a daze, reaching to grab the silent intruder’s servo.

The digits felt familiar as you wrapped them between your servos… Servos?! Your optics flew wide open in a panic, locking on your arms with perfect perception; you were whole again and caught up in a fever dream. It washed away all sense of dismay with subtle relief.

“Hmm? Who else would it be?” Kaon purred against your audio receptor.

His touch was fleeting and ethereal. None of this was real, but you’d make the best of it. You desperately longed for his frame. Nudging yourself closer, you realized that the heating blanket you had in the waking realm was missing as you brushed up against his smooth plating.

“Sorry. I’m still half asleep.” You excused your grogginess with a chuckle, voice renewed with a healthy vigor that had left you week ago.

“Oh, no need to be sorry, my dear. I should be sorry for keeping you waiting.” There was a coy smile to his words as he pulled your waist snugly against his.

Kaon’s balmy frame felt sickeningly pleasant. The faint hum of his cooling system made the mech’s intentions abundantly clear as his servo wormed its way out of your grasps and slipped beneath your waistline once more. His soft touch traced up the transformation seams in your thighs, triggering a shudder through your frame as your cheeks became flushed. 

“We can _finish_ what we started earlier, if you’d like.” Kaon’s offer was luxuriously lewd.

He planted a gentle kiss on the side of your helm and drew delicate circles on your flank to entice you. Patiently, he waited for your response before daring to caress you further.

Shy apprehension flashed in your field, causing Kaon to retreat and shuffle back into a loose embrace as his aura grew awash with embarrassment. He was cautious to pursue much more than a fleeting touch or a kiss and hinged on your consent. You were glad, but wished he would seek your approval on other things… That collar… Even in your fantasies there was no escape; it sat cozily cinched around your neck. You were ashamed for the small part of you that was growing fond of it.

“Cuddling is good too. I’m s-” Kaon apologized, but you wouldn’t allow another word to leave his lips.

“No. You can’t just tease me like that. It’s not fair.” You whined with a cutesy pout.

Your indecision was only momentary. There was no harm in taking advantage of a dream. Smiling, you tucked your wings and turned to face Kaon. You caressed the upper ridge of his chest turbine before gathering the courage to lean up and kiss the mech. His coils hummed with delight as he returned your affection, pitting soft prickles of static against your plating.

“Are you sure?” He drew back from the kiss and chuckled at your sudden impatience.

“Yes! You’re terrible.” You gave a hushed giggle in response and rested your helm against the nape of his neck “Just be gentle, okay?”

Kaon’s cheeks turned almost as red as his stunning crimson paint job. He nodded, maneuvering to place another kiss on your lips as he pulled you flush against his heated frame. Bolder than before, he slipped his glossa into your dainty intake; pushing the kiss deeper. His intrusion stifled the soft moan that left your vocalizer. He almost tasted sweet. You danced your glossa around his, returning the risque act as your fields became an intertwined mess of ignited passion.

With a tender roll, Kaon swept you underneath him; your back pressed firm against the berth. He withdrew from his kiss, trailing a string of oral lubricant between your glossas as he left you empty. The mech brushed a servo against your cheek and traced the other down your frame. The soft tingles of current that emanated from the tips of his digits amplified his touch.

_That’s cheating!_ You thought to yourself as you bit down on your lip and fought the urge to arch your frame against his touch. There was no victory. You gave in with a whimper as an unbearable tremble wracked your body. Your cooling fans purred louder as Kaon teased at your modesty plating. He prodded at your tender seams before giving a sharp tap that sent a pleasurable shiver through your spinal strut.

“Be a sweetie and open up for me.” Kaon spoke with a seductive softness that made your spark weak.

He didn’t need to ask. The heat building in your array was too much to handle, and you did as you were told. With a click, your paneling transformed away, leaving you bare and on display. Out of instinct, you cracked a shy grin and tried to cross your legs to conceal yourself, but the mech sat between them.

Kaon smiled, kissing the top of your helm before moving to your thighs; drawing more gentle circles to put you at ease. He paused and cast his sightless gaze upon you as if waiting for approval before continuing. You gave a silent nod and guided him down. His field sparked with intrigue as he closely examined your array, casting a warm vent over your throbbing spike that made your thighs twitch. You let out a soft gasp as Kaon’s lips pressed against the head of your modest spire. He peppered more kisses along the length of your shaft as he made his way towards the base and shifted his attention to your needy valve.

Momentarily, the voltaic coils on Kaon’s shoulders danced with a flurry of electricity. Their proximity made you nervous, but you knew they surged only to enhance his rudimentary vision.

“Beautiful, as always.” His praise made you blush intensely.

You bit back a sharp moan as Kaon’s thick glossa teased at your slick entrance and sensitive node. Each lap fueled the charge within your frame and pushed you closer to the edge. Kaon smirked devilishly and dove deep into your valve, locking his lips against the supple proto-flesh. You were considerably smaller than him, just taking his glossa almost filled you to the brim. The bio-lighting on your array glimmered in sync with every motion the mech made. You wondered if he could see the light show.

“Aahhh! K-kaon… K...” You mewled his name multiple times, barely able to form coherent words with each intake.

Your thighs blanketed either side of Kaon’s face, encouraging him as he continued to lavish you. Perhaps he needed a little more… You reached down and grabbed a hold of his helm. With a gentle push, you tried to press his glossa deeper into your array.

Pain… There was pain, but not from anywhere you were expecting. A violent pang of pressure from the left side of your helm interrupted your fantasy romp. Your entire body flinched and froze up. _What the frag?!_ Your processor cursed at you, but you couldn’t move.

Your sudden change in demeanour didn’t go unnoticed. Kaon immediately stopped and peaked out from between your thighs. His expression was wrought with devastating concern as he clambered up to check on you. Kaon’s lips mouthed words, but not a sound left his vocalizer. Nothing reached your audials, and you couldn’t feel the weight of his frame on top of you. The world spun and dissolved into darkness as your optics offlined in a haze of static.

\--

You woke up, swaddled tight in your heating blanket. A bitter grumble of disappointment growled in your vocals as glanced around only to find that you were on the floor. In your fervor, you had rolled off the berth and knocked your helm against the cold tiles below. How embarrassing… But the heat lapping between your thighs that nagged you for unfinished relief was far more shameful.

Self servicing was always so difficult with only one servo. Sighing, you attempted to slip your digits towards your array, but your arm wouldn’t budge; caught beneath your frame and bound along with your leg in the blanket. You squeaked and flailed like a trapped animal. Your struggle only cinched you in tighter. Rutting your spike against the warm interior of the quilt was only enticing for a nano-klik before your comm line pummeled you with a dozen messages. They were all from Kaon, each more urgent than the last.

[[Are you alright? Vos comm’d me saying you sounded like you were dying in there. He made it seem like a joke, though. You’re not actually dying, are you? Comm me back as soon as you can, please.]]

[[Still haven’t heard from you. We’re heading back now! I tried to contact Nickel, but she’s not picking up.]]

[[Hello?!]]

Your spark sunk at the realization and you couldn’t bear to read any more. Vos had played an awful trick on Kaon, or perhaps you had been too noisy with your fever dream. The thought of Vos hearing _that _made you want to shrivel up and offline from embarrassment. Frantically, you tried to send Kaon a message letting him know you were alright, but you were too late.

The door to the berthroom flew open and within a few frantic strides Kaon was at your side, though the turbofox was nowhere to be found.

“Primus pl-” His normally composed vocals choked with static as he ripped you free from the blanket.

“Frag! Kaon, no! I’m okay!” You shrieked and grasped back at the quilt, but the mech easily overpowered you.

“You’re what? Tha- Oh, my…” Kaon vented heavily and dropped to his knees in front of you.

The poor mech must have sprinted all the way back to the base. Every inch of his frame was glazed in frost that coated him in condensation as it melted off in the balmy room. He blinked his hollows, crackling the ice from his face plates while he chuckled.

“Must have been _quite_ the show for Vos to think you were dying. Strange that I’ve never heard you before and you’ve been stuck with me for how long now?” Kaon teased through a shy blush, turning his sightless gaze away from your open array, though it did nothing to take it off his radar “You poor little pent up thing.”

“Ahh! S-shut up!” You whined, scrambling to cover yourself.

It was impossible to hide it. Your thighs were damp from the eagerness of your valve; an excess of lubricant pooling underneath you. You couldn’t even cross your legs to conceal your spike because your own brief touch sparked warmth throughout your systems. You were so close… If only Kaon had arrived later.

“Ah, my dear. I know you’re embarrassed, but there’s no reason to talk to me like that.” Kaon had enough composure to discipline your rude tone with a smirking scowl.

“Sorry…” You vented.

Kaon reached out to pet your helm, running his gentle digits over your bent audial fin. It was a feeble attempt to comfort you, but your headache largely went unnoticed. You couldn’t stifle your mewling whimper as you acted without direction from your processor and nestled against the mech’s servo.

“Please… Please help me out.” Your thoughts begged out loud and filled you with instant regret the moment they slipped from your lips.

“Excuse me?” Kaon cracked a wry smile to mask his confusion.

He leaned over you, eclipsing your petite frame in his shadow. Your back was pressed against the berth, and there was nowhere to run. Your wing trembled as you tried to turn your head away, but Kaon was quick to grab your chin guard and force you to maintain optic contact with him. With his other servo, he grasped your sensitive wing tip and held it firmly to cease the shuddering in your frame. Kaon’s smile softened to match his delicate blush; not an ounce of perverse intent marred the fondness of his field.

“It’s unbearably cute to see you beg for me like this, but I can’t. You’re unwell and a little delirious, darling.” He excused himself from your offer. 

Your optic flickered as you struggled to process his rejection. You should have been overjoyed that the mech refused to take advantage of you, but it devastated you. You knew you were overreacting. It must have been the medication. Even after all of Kaon’s teasing and bashful attempts at romance, the mech had never stated his feelings with any clarity.

“You don’t really like me, do you?” You simpered just to elicit a reaction, squirming under his grasps.

“Do you honestly think that?” Kaon’s words lingered with piercing indignation at your assumption.

His field flashed with tremendous anger that burned up in a nano-klik before choking the air with overwhelming sadness. He never shielded his emotions from you and wore his spark on full display. You felt bad for saying it, but didn’t have a chance to respond.

“I do _love_ you, and because I love you, I’m not going to frag you while you’re addled up on Primus knows what Nickel gave you. Needy as you are, I can guarantee we’d both regret it. Is that so hard to understand?” Kaon reprimanded, static shattering the fidelity of his exasperated voice.

“U-understood. I’m sorry.” You nodded with a sheepish blush, thighs trembling as you struggled to close them, but Kaon sat in the way.

“Now, I suppose I could help you out just a _little_ and then you really should go wash up, okay?” He spoke with a cheeky grin.

“But you just said-”

“Oh, no no! Nothing _that_ naughty, my dear. If I may?” Kaon interrupted, tilting your helm towards his face.

He just wanted a kiss. The mech always asked, and it took the surprise away from all of his advances. You didn’t understand how this would help your circumstance, though any attention from Kaon felt amazing right now. Shutting your optic, you pursed your lips to receive him only to have a brash idea cross your processor. Rather than waiting for him, you leaned forward and locked lips with the mech.

Your bravery paid off. Kaon let out a cutesy startled sound, his field danced with excitement as his coils crackled to life. You could feel the static lapping against your cheeks. It made you nervous, though it wasn’t painful and borderline felt ticklish on your plating.

Suddenly, Kaon tugged on your collar and slipped his glossa between your lips. His intrusion had you moaning as the charging heat within you nearly boiled over. He kept you pulled into his deep kiss, placing his free servo on your hip and giving it a soft squeeze.

You almost bit down on poor Kaon’s glossa as the charge crested over your entire body, pushing you into a sudden overload. Hot fluid erupted from your spike, pitting against your armor as you wept in ecstasy. You keeled back with a satisfied sigh while the excess dripped down your shaft and sullied your once modest plating. For a moment, you forgot he was even there. Reality clicked back into focus as the mech let go of your collar, snapping it against your neck cables. He was oddly silent.

Luminous liquid coated the lower portion of Kaon’s torso in steamy spatters; standing out like glistening silver against his regal paint job. The mech’s expression was a flustered mix of bewilderment and concern. There was no way his bleak hollows could have opened any wider.

“W-well, perhaps that was a little _too_ naughty.” He laughed nervously at the unexpected result.

Your overload coated him. There couldn’t have been anything worse! Your spark nearly extinguished itself out of fright. In a panic, you sprung on Kaon and attempted to wipe your fluid from his frame, but your digits only smeared it into his seams.

“I’m sorry! I! I’m really so-” You couldn’t finish your own sentence as your processor raced at a fever pitch.

Your mind was in shambles as you dashed to the next logical plan of action. Holding onto Kaon’s waist, you brought your intake close to his plating and lapped at the mess. You only got a small taste of yourself before the mech yanked back on your collar and pulled you off of him.

“Gah! Don’t do that!” Kaon hissed in alarm through the hum of his cooling fans “We do have a washrack in here. There’s no need to use your glossa. You’re trying to make this difficult, aren’t you?”

He refused to let go of the collar as he stood up and hauled you onto your pedes. You nodded at his statement, but didn’t dare speak; only a shameful squeak left your vocalizer while he led you off to the washrack.

\--

There was no exchange of words as the two of you cleaned off in awkward silence. You pondered many ill thoughts and feared for the worst. If you had your way, you would have stayed under the torrid solvents of the shower for an eternity because nothing could wash away the embarrassment you felt. Kaon cut the showering short the moment both of you had cleansed your frames, but opted to run an oil bath instead of returning to the room.

The tub was big enough to fit two mechs of Kaon’s size. You watched with immense curiosity as the honey hued liquid poured in and filled the room with a cozy steam. The oil had a mild fragrance that was enticing, without being overwhelming on your sensors. You leaned over the edge of the tub and cautiously dipped a digit in. It was borderline boiling! Retreating, you watched in horror as Kaon slipped himself into the bath. He almost sank the entirety of his frame below the oil before regaining his composure with a contented murmur.

“Hmm? Have you not had an oil bath before?” Kaon grinned at your apprehension and gestured for you to join him.

It was the first thing he had said to you since the incident. You admired how quickly he had brushed over it and wished you could do the same.

“N-no. It’s too warm.” You squeaked, clenching onto the ledge but daring to go no further.

“It’s always a little hot at first, but you get used to it right away and it feels great. You’re missing out if you don’t try it.” He coaxed, reaching for your servo.

“I only have one! I can’t get in if you’re holding it.” You scoffed, pulling your servo back before Kaon had a chance to grab it.

With a deep vent, you sat over the ledge and dipped your pedes into the bath. The hot oil stung momentarily and then filled your frame with luxurious warmth. Gradually, you lowered the rest of your frame into the swelter. Kaon was right, it was amazing. Every seam on your frame felt purified and renewed. You almost slipped into recharge.

“See? It’s not so bad. You’ll feel better after this.” Kaon purred happily.

You couldn’t engage in small talk. Your processor was still struggling with the unfortunate event that happened earlier.

“Kaon, I’m so sorry.” You went on like a broken record and shyly hid your face behind your palm.

Kaon refused to let you wallow in your misery. Sighing, he grabbed a hold of your petite frame and pulled you close; awkwardly placing you between his legs with your back against his chest. He draped you in his arms and took the care to hold on to your servo.

“I know. You’ve apologized already, there’s no reason to keep saying sorry.” His tone was hushed and comforting “I’m sorry too. I should have known better than to edge you on, I had no idea you’d get off so easily. It was pretty cute, though.”

You twitched at Kaon’s last string of words, but the mech kept going.

“Oh, and I guess it’s my all fault to begin with too! Vos said you were calling my name. I wonder what kind of romp you were dreaming up.” Kaon’s assurance warped into a jab as he made light of the incident.

“A-ah! I’m not telling you!” You peeped, clutching his servo tighter.

“Pfft! You’re not going to try to frag me when we recharge, are you? I might have to start sleeping on the sofa again.” He smirked at your expense.

Kaon’s teasing was relentless, but it softened the mood. The once stark silence in the room was rife with laughter as the two of you taunted each other; it had paved the incident over with ease. For the first time all week your frame truly felt warm.

You were certain that you were indeed getting better.


	10. Vendetta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions run high during a hunt briefing. Rather than jeopardize the mission, you're left behind to do a team building exercise with your disgruntled crew mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;w; Aaa! Thank you so much for 100 kudos! It means a heckin' lot to me and I hope I can continue to provide you a decent read in the future.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Canon typical violence | Slight Pet Play

The Peaceful Tyranny was a welcome reprieve from the chill of Messatine. It was a sickening thought, but you were happy to be on board the ship once more than spend another solar cycle at the frigid base. You were trapped either way. A nervous flicker of shame burned at the back of your spark, knowing that you had grown accustomed to your imprisonment.

Life had resumed normalcy, at least what had become your twisted idea of normal living among the DJD. Initially, Kaon spared you from being dragged along on the first hunt after leaving the base, if only because of your piteous pleading. Much to your dismay, the single occasion had sapped away all the mech’s mercy. 

\--

The prelude to a hunt was lengthy and business-like. Tarn summoned everyone to an impressive meeting room with a wide circular table that glistened with fuchsia veins of bio-lighting. The bleak decor ate away at the luminance of the dim ceiling lights and gave the room a foreboding atmosphere. A massive curved screen enveloped half of the room, displaying infographics on the DJD’s unfortunate target. Tarn positioned himself right in front of the monitors; cloaking his frame in an eerie cerulean glow.

There were only six seats at the table, so you found yourself confined to your usual accommodation atop Kaon’s lap. He sat to the right of Tarn; it was far too close for comfort. Tarn’s presence was impossible to ignore. His field was frighteningly calm, but it did nothing to ease your unnerved processor. Even just a momentary glance in your direction chilled your spark to the core. 

Kaon shuffled slightly, sensing your agitation and placing his arms around you in a loose, but protective, embrace. He offered his data pad as a meagre distraction, holding it steady in his right servo so you could scroll through it. You kept quiet as they discussed various details of the hunt. Who the target was and what they would do to them. Your tank churned at what was in store for the traitor, forgiveness was out of the question despite the insignificance of their “crimes”.

“ ̷҉ ̡҉ ̨҉ ҉̕̕͠͏ ̷͘͜͡ ̵͡ ͟͢ ̴͏ ͟͞ ̵ ̷̶̢͠ ̷̴͞҉͠” Vos’ serpentine voice grumbled from across the table.

The scrawny rifle mech hunched over the table, idly tapping his dagger like digits atop it. His sinister optics focused on your meek frame as his field seethed with annoyance.

You wanted to shrink away, but there was nowhere to run. Perhaps the sound of your servo tapping on the datapad bothered him, but you knew the real reason. Vos had forged a jealous vendetta against you and took any opportunity he could to aggravate your existence. Kaon let out a sigh, but Tarn spoke before he had a chance to.

“Ah yes, Vos, it almost slipped my mind.” His rich vocals pierced through the chatter, rendering the room silent as he turned his gaze towards you “Kaon, you know _pets_ are not allowed at the table.”

“I’m not a pet.” You squeaked.

For some sick reason, the fear building in your spark warped into anger. You leaned away from the safety of Kaon’s arms and glowered bitterly at Vos.

“Look, we don't have enough seats in here and I’m not going to sit on the floor.” You scowled in a pathetic spur of maddening bravery.

Nickel cringed, optic lid twitching momentarily as her expression flashed with sickening concern. Vos looked ready to lunge at you, though some sliver of sanity within the mech kept him at bay. Your antics failed to elicit more than a huff from Tesarus, but Helex snickered uncontrollably as he tried to choke back a flurry of laughter. The blue giant lapsed into silence at the precise moment you felt a digit loop through the tight gap between your neck cables and collar. It wasn't Kaon's servo.

There was no time to panic or squirm. Within half a nano-klik, Tarn unceremoniously hoisted you up by your choker and dangled you like a pathetic rag doll in front of the crew. Your wingtip shuddered feverishly, the rest of your frame remained rigid as nauseating dread overtook you.

Kaon looked on in horror but didn't dare make any effort to save you. A sharp stab of betrayal gutted your spark; you had expected a different reaction from him. Contrary to the others, Vos was eating up the spectacle. He was rife with grim tittering and coyly rested his head in his servos.

"There are plenty of other things you could be right now. I think a pet is certainly the most _preferable_ option. Don't you agree?" Tarn warned without an ounce of compassion.

Though the mech didn't raise his voice when addressing you, it felt like the weight of the universe had condensed around you. A vice that mercilessly suffocated your systems gripped at your spark. The fear was crippling, but your processor screamed that something else must have been at play. Unable to gasp out more than a whimper, your optic flickered as your frame began to shut down.

Suddenly, you were falling. You braced for impact but surprise overtook you as you moved at a slow pace; delicately being set down on the floor. A deep vent left your quivering intake as you sat on your knees between the two mechs. The tension around your spark washed away as Tarn let go of your collar and moved his clawed servo to stroke the top of your helm. You seized up in a violent shudder, fearing that Tarn’s digits would tear into your cranium. Despite your dread, his touch felt uncharacteristically gentle as a soft hum drifted against your audials and relaxed your tense frame. On conditioned instinct, you nuzzled into Tarn’s servo and instantly felt your tank churn.

“See? You can be such a good little pet.” He chuckled darkly, petting your helm before returning to more pressing matters.

“Y-yeah.” You stuttered, your lips being compelled to speak on their own as if beckoned by an unseen force.

With a soft whimper, you leaned against the armrest on Kaon’s seat to distance yourself from Tarn. The crimson mech was quick to give you comforting head pats. You appreciated the sentiment, but it wasn’t what you needed right now.

[[Why didn’t you do anything?]] You sent a whining message to Kaon over your comm lines.

[[Tarn would never hurt any of us. He can just be a bit intimidating. We’ll remember to have you sit on the floor next meeting.]] Kaon's response was dry and sprinkled with vague sarcasm.

[[He was going to kill me!]] You shot back with an audible grumble.

[[He's not allowed to kill you. None of them are. Don't be silly.]] He attempted to provide reassurance.

You mumbled to yourself, huffing out your frustrations. Kaon was probably right, though it was difficult to trust him despite his tenderness towards you. Your safety aboard the ship always felt like walking over a razor blade on the tips of your pedes; you didn't trust Tarn or Vos.

You zoned out of the conversation in the room, lost in your own thoughts for a precious few moments before someone called out your name. It was Tarn's voice. You snapped back to reality in an instant, fear jolting up your spinal strut. His unrelenting sanguine gaze fixated on you as you huddled near Kaon.

"Cooperation is vital to the success of a mission. I will ask you to sit this hunt out, eager as I am sure you are." Tarn spoke with dangerous sarcasm.

You let out a deep vent of relief; spared from the hunt for another solar cycle. It was short lived. Your spark dropped into your tank as the leader of the DJD continued his dictation.

"...And Vos will not be joining the hunt either. You two will stay behind on the ship. I want you both to get along. Do some team building, perhaps? And refrain from killing each other, please." Tarn concluded, wagging a scolding digit at you.

" ̷̷̸͜͞ ̕͜͡ ̴̢͟͝ ̸̸̨̧͢ ̧҉̢͡ ҉̶ ̶͢͠ ҉̷ ̛͏ ̶̛̕͠ ̶̧͜ ̛ ͟ ͞ ̷̴̸ ҉̸͘͏͟ ̶͘͟͢͜ ̸̧͡ ̶ ͝ ͡҉̧͡ ̕͘͞͞ ̨͜!" Vos protested, arching up in a feline like rage as he dug his arrow tipped digits against the meeting table.

"Ah ha, Tarn, I really don't believe that's necessary-" Kaon spoke up on your behalf, his expression crooked with nervousness.

"Maybe Vos can teach them some tricks." Tarn chuckled.

Vos' mood instantly lit up at Tarn's suggestion. Grim thoughts must have been swirling in his processor as his optics narrowed into a mischievous glower.

" ̷͜ ̧̨ ̴̶͜ ̴̡͘. Yesss! Train new pet… For Kaon!" He struggled with the words, garbling out a gleeful chirp.

You would have preferred Vos' anger over whatever he had in store for you.

\--

Seeing off the rest of the crew on their hunt was dreadful. Kaon's apprehension in leaving you with Vos only amplified your fear. He held you in a snug embrace that lasted for far too long. It was uncomfortably tight.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Just… Comm me if anything happens, okay?" Kaon spoke in a hushed whisper against your audial. 

You nodded at his concern. Kaon’s feeble words of comfort did nothing, he’d be too far away to save you. With grave reluctance, he handed you over to Vos before joining his comrades in the ship’s entry hall; the lights around your collar dimming as he departed. 

Vos had been adamant about keeping you leashed up, which stoked your embarrassment to a fever pitch as the mech gave your tether a firm tug towards him. You stumbled over his wiry pedes and nearly fell over. He let out a vulgar chuckle, delighting in your clumsy nature.

“Play nice, you two.” Tarn smugly waved farewell, turning to leave with his savage squadron.

“ ͏̧ ͢ ̵̸̧̡͝ ̶͢! Yes-yess! Byeeee!” Vos proclaimed, waving back with frantic excitement.

The only solace in the situation came from the fact that Nickel had stayed behind. It was rare that the medic would ever join in on hunts, and you didn’t blame her. The minicon rocked on her wheels, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her helm at the two of you.

“For the love of Primus, don’t do anything fraggin’ stupid. If I have to mend more than a paint scratch on either of you! Ugh! Just don’t, okay?” Nickel warned, wrought with frustration as she scowled.

“ ̷͢͝ ̡̨͜͢ ̷̧̧͝ ͘͝͝ ̨҉ ̡̡ ̸̢̧ ͞҉̸͟ ҉̛ ҉̵̴͘ ̶̧͜ ͟͏̡̕̕ ̸͘͠͝ ̢͜͞ ͝҉̴̵͢ ͟! Not harrrmmm! Keep ssssafe for Kaon.” Vos squabbled, pulling you into a haphazard embrace against his gaunt chest and patted your helm.

Nickel scoffed, rolling her optics as she abandoned you. She muttered curses under her vents while departing. You bit down on your lip, hoping the medic’s threat was enough to keep Vos from hurting you.

Vos’ optics followed Nickel until she was out of sight. Within a nano-klik of being alone, he focused all of his attention on you. Vos let go of his feigned hug and stepped away. He placed a servo on his hip and let out an exasperated vocalization that sounded like an attempt at sighing.

“Kaon ̡ ͟͜ ̷̡̕͟ ̸̡͢͠ ̸̢͞ ̶͟ ̷̵ ̵̛͢ ̸̧͞ ̛̕͠ ͠ ̢̕ ̶ ̴̶͜͡ ҉͝҉͞ ̵͢͟ ̧͞ ҉̧̡͡ ̵͝ ̨͝ ҉ ҉̧͟ ̶ ̶̛͠͝ ͞҉͡ ̴̷?” He asked without consideration for your vocabulary, tugging on the leash once again.

“Kaon, what? I’m sorry. I-i don’t understand.” Your voice crackled audibly as you struggled not to offend the mech.

Vos made a bastardized sigh once more and rubbed his digits on his temple in frustration. His theatrical antics might have been comical if not for the position you were in.

“Kaon train pet… Any tricksss?” Vos asked again.

“I mean, I’m not-” You stopped mid way through defending yourself, knowing that it would only complicate things “...No. He hasn’t.”

“ ̵̧ ͏̢̢͟ ̢͟͝! Boring pet. O-kay! Vos teach.” He laughed and motioned towards the floor. “.̢͟ ҉̨͜͞҉ ͞͏͠ Ssssit!”

“Pfff! You’re not serious! Really?!” You chuckled nervously.

“Sssssit!” Vos reiterated with a hiss.

Grumbling, you sat down on the floor. Your expression became sour as a humiliating blush painted your cheeks. Briefly you contemplated running away from him… Your servo sneaked up to the clasp on your collar, but Vos was swift to grab it.

“No! ̴͞ ̵̴̷ ̵̶ ͠҉ ̴̢̕̕ ͞͞ ̸̧͘͜ ̸̴͢͠ ̴̢̧͜ ̴̵̢ ̴̶̷ ̕͡ ̴̷̧̡ Bad!” Vos scolded.

He crouched in front of you, keeping a tight grasp on your digits. You cringed, bracing yourself for the worst, but the act of disobedience only earned you a sharp flick on your audial fin. Your vocalizer squeaked out a crackled whimper. 

“ ̴͞ ̵̴̷ ̵̶ ͠҉ ̴̢̕̕ ͞͞ ̸̧͘͜ ̸̴͢͠ ̴̢̧͜ ̴̵̢ ̴̶̷ ̕͡ ̴̷̧̡ ̧̡͟ Wanttt run? Come… Walk.” He instructed, emitting a happy hum as he stood up and pulled you forward. 

You kept quiet and got up to follow the mech. Vos suddenly let loose a freakish yelp and stammered with inane servo gestures. Flinching, you did not understand what you did wrong and backed up to the end of your leash to distance yourself from him.

“Pet walk! No ssstand.” Vos commanded, the ire in his vocals gradually fizzling out as he comically pointed a digit towards the floor.

You swallowed what little pride you had and got on your knees. Balance was difficult to achieve with only one arm. Struggling, you hobbled forward, flapping your wing in an organic fashion to steady yourself. You could only imagine how pathetic you looked and were glad no one else was around to see it. Vos snickered at your display, gleefully tugging you along for a walk around the ship.

After trotting about for what felt like eons, Vos had grown bored with the venture and ended the trek in the ship’s mess hall. He dragged you to the energon storage pantry, retrieving only a single cube. Your tank grumbled at the mere sight of it; salivation pooling in your intake. You hadn’t refueled since the early hours of the morning, and you had grown accustomed to having generous rations under Kaon’s care. 

Vos caught wind of your hunger and teasingly pressed the morsel to his faceplate. You pursed your lips in a pouty frown without thinking and miserably played into the mech’s taunt. He broke out into cruel laughter, nearly doubling over and dropping the cube of energon. 

“.͠ ̸̡͠ ̵̷̡-̴̕ ̶̧̢҉̵ ̴̧͜͞” He spoke in his primal tongue, leaning down and offering the snack to you.

You reached out to take it from him, but Vos recoiled. He made a chiding noise before presenting the cube yet again. You knew how he wanted you to grab it and you didn’t want to give him that pleasure. Smirking, you padded forward, playing the part and curiously examining the energon with the intrigue of an animal. 

Vos let go of your leash to caress his digits against your audial fin; it sent a warm shiver down your spinal strut. You hated it… Your processor instantly lulled into a sense of security that was begging for you to rest your cheek against Vos’ palm. Maybe if it had been Kaon, but you refused to let Vos get the better of you. 

Without warning, you sprung at the lanky mech and head-butted his servo; knocking the cube free. Vos shrieked in surprise, stumbling backwards and falling flat on his rear. You caught the cube with your intake, gripping it daintily between your dentae as you whipped the leash away and made a run for it. Stupid stupid stupid! You scolded yourself within the confines of your thoughts. What were you going to do now? Your spark raced to a painful beat as you bolted down the narrow halls of the ship. 

\--

Kaon’s habsuite was the only safe haven. Hastily you retreated towards it, unsure if Vos was even chasing after you because your audials only tuned into the sound of your own frantic pede steps echoing through the halls. You couldn’t bear to look behind yourself, fearing it would slow you down. 

Finally, you approached the familiar gateway. In a frenzy you entered the passcode, growing anxious with each precious nano-klik that ticked by as the door slid open. You sighed, biting into the energon cube you dashed away with and stepped into the safety of the room.

Deft pedes caught up with you, slipping between the door before it could fully close. Your spark froze, there was no time to react before a force slammed against your back and decked you flat onto the floor; skidding across its polished surface and crashing into Kaon’s desk at the other end of the room. One of the mech’s pieces of artwork fell from the wall and clattered off the top of your helm to add insult to injury. You groaned, trying to push yourself up, but a sharp weight smashed on top of you and kept you pinned down.

“ ̵͜ ̵̨̡͝ ̨̨͜͠ ̕҉~͞ ̵̨͢͟͟ ̨͠͡ ̵͟͏̷͝ ͟͏!” Vos seethed, stomping his pede down hard enough to stall your system as you let out a garbled cry of agony.

“Vos! What the slag?! T-tarn said play nice!” You groaned and curled up as soon as the irate mech stepped off of you.

“ ̕҉ ̶̴̡̨̕.̨͞.̷͞ ̸̸̡͝ ̷̕ ̡͠͞͠ ̕͝͠?!? Nice? ̷͟͠͠ ̷̷̛͢͞ ͏ ̕͢ ҉̧̡ Atttack… Run!” He growled, tensing his nimble frame and looking as if he was ready to tear your spark out.

You didn’t bother getting up. There was nowhere to run. Wincing, you shut your optic and braced yourself for Vos’ aggression, but the mech never landed another blow. His scraggy pedes clattered around the room as he turned his attention away from you and observed his surroundings. You watched in silence while Vos rifled through the habsuite; picking up random things and murmuring to himself. Whatever he was looking for he couldn’t find it and heated agitation began boiling in his field.

“Where r-rrrecharge?” He interrogated, slinking back towards you.

“M-me? You squeaked, trying to plan a safe response, but all you could mutter was “Upstairs.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Vos threw himself at you, trapping you between his frame and the floor as he dug his needle-like digits into your neck cabling. Your struggle was brief, you couldn’t push the mech off, and every squirm for freedom only made him grip onto you tighter.

“ ͘͡ ̢͘͢͝ ͢͢͝ ̧͢҉ Kaon ̸͞ ͜ ̵҉̶ ̸ ̸͡ ̨ ̸ ̧̕͝ ҉ ̡̨͟!” Vos howled in miserable jealousy “ ͞ ͜ ̵҉̶ ̸ ̸͡ ̨ ̸ ̧̕͝ ffrag toy. Sssteal from Vos. N-not share, taaake Kaon!” 

You knew Vos was envious, but you had no idea it was this intense. Your processor raced to diffuse the situation as you grimaced.

“Do you h-honestly think I asked for this? I thought you guys came to my rescue, but I know you and Tarn would have gladly just gutted me for parts. I don’t know why Kaon wanted to keep me b-”

“Kaon ̷̧̡͠ ̴͡ ̷̶͟͝ ̛͢͟͜͝ ̷ ̴͡҉͜ ̵͡ ̸̡ ̷̶ ̕̕҉ ̵͡͞ ̵ bad habittt. Want botss ̷̛ ̡͠ ̡͘ ̕̕ ̴̧ ̴̶̡ ̡̕ ̶͟͜ ̷̷̕ ҉ ̸̢ ̶̢͘ ̷͘͟͡͏ ̸͘͘͝ ̸ ͢͡ ̵͘͟ ̕͜͝ ͞. Many be-before. Now you.” Vos interrupted, his vocals felt like icicles stabbing into your spark as he prodded his index digit against the crest of your helm “ ̴͞ ̵̴̷ ̵̶ ͠҉ ̴̢̕̕ ͞͞ ̸̧͘͜ ̸̴͢͠ ̴̢̧͜ ̴̵̢ ̴̶̷ ̕͡ ̴̷̧̡ ̧̡͟ not sssspecial.”

Instantly your trump card against Vos was invalidated. You blinked, trying to process his words; falling ill with a melancholic mixture of sadness and fear that choked tightly around your chest. It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. You wanted to believe he was lying, but there were too many flags pointing to the truth. With all the crew’s teasing about you being a new pet, you had assumed they meant in addition to Kaon’s turbo fox, not that he had a penchant for keeping sentient bots. Considering your circumstances, and the mechs own admittances, you shouldn’t have been surprised.

“You’re lying.” You chuckled nervously to bolster your assurance “He… He said he loved me.”

“ ͢͟͏ ̨̛͞͡ ̸̨͠͞ ҉̶̢ ͞͝ ̵̧̛͡ ̴̨̨ ̷̢̛ ̛҉ -͡͏̕-̧͞-̵͞͡ ̛͘͢͝ ͟͠ ̢̧! Love!? No! Love lik-ke thingsss. Like oooobject!” Vos laughed hideously, pinching a servo around your cheek plates in a misguided attempt to end your words.

Your cheek felt wet as a trickle of warmth slid down the surface. At first you thought Vos’ digits had punctured your plating, but the fluid had spilled out from the corner optic; you were crying. There was no sobbing, just a sensation of overwhelming emptiness that was gnawed by the dread of Vos’ presence. You reached to wipe them away, but Vos’ had already tended to your tears.

“Awww.” He cooed “No sssaad. Vos help.”

You didn’t want his help. With a sniveling scoff you tried to shuffle out from under him, but Vos adamantly held onto you.

“ ͢͟͏ ̨̛͞͡ ̸̨͠͞ ҉̶̢ ͞͝ ̵̧̛͡ ̴̨̨ ̷̢̛ ̛҉ -͡͏̕-̧͞-̵͞͡ ̛͘͢͝ ͟͠ ̢̧ make ̴͞ ̵̴̷ ̵̶ ͠҉ ̴̢̕̕ ͞͞ ̸̧͘͜ ̸̴͢͠ ̴̢̧͜ ̴̵̢ ̴̶̷ ̕͡ ̴̷̧̡ ̧̡͟ close to Kaon. Need help.” Vos was speaking largely to himself, pondering wild thoughts you didn’t dare intrude upon.

“It’s fine, Vos. Really… I appreciate the offer, but I don’t need your help. We’re close enough as it is.” You excused yourself from the mechs offer, but he persisted. 

Vos loomed over you, pressing the full weight of his frame onto your chest. His archaic murmurs popped and fizzled like a dying flame in your audials as he pushed the right side of your face against the floor. With the mech’s servo cupped across your intake, you couldn’t muster anything more than a muffled whimper. Vos drew soft strokes across your left cheek in a feigned display of gentleness. It was intended to calm you down, but your frame was trembling; you hadn’t been this afraid since you were first brought aboard the ship.

The sharp tips of his digits strayed too close to your optic. Through a wincing flinch, you shuttered your fragile ocular sensor. Vos unceremoniously pried the lids back open, forcing you to look at him. Burning crimson orbs stared back at you as the mech’s field drowned in bitter animosity. Without warning, he dragged his claw across the surface; running a deep, searing scratch down the middle of your visual field. Your vocalizer choked out an anguished yelp as you kicked and flailed with all your might. Despite his lanky frame, Vos took the blows as if they were nothing and barely budged.

“Vos! Please, no. St-” Your softened pleas fell on deaf audials.

“ ̴͞ ̵̴̷ ̵̶ ͠҉ ̴̢̕̕ ͞͞ ̸̧͘͜ ̸̴͢͠ ̴̢̧͜ ̴̵̢ ̴̶̷ ̕͡ ̴̷̧̡ ̧̡͟ match Kaon.” Vos hissed, jabbing into your orbit.

Your shrill scream caught against the mech’s palm. The roaring agony was nothing compared to the unbearable, sickening pressure that swelled around your optic. It was all momentary. Vos’ repulsive jealousy was the last thing you glimpsed before the world faded to black. Your face tugged upward as the ocular cable snapped and cascaded a spray of heated energon across your cheek. Every inch of your frame was shaking as Vos’ weight left you. 

“W-hatt… W-whhaaht the f-fragg… You… Y-you absolute spawn of a-” You couldn’t finish your words as you lurched forward, vomiting out the content of your tanks and nearly collapsing in your own mess.

“Tsk! ̴͞ ̵̴̷ ̵̶ ͠҉ ̴̢̕̕ ͞͞ ̸̧͘͜ ̸̴͢͠ ̴̢̧͜ ̴̵̢ ̴̶̷ ̕͡ ̴̷̧̡ ̧̡͟ No hateee Vos. ͢͟͏ ̨̛͞͡ ̸̨͠͞ ҉̶̢ ͞͝ ̵̧̛͡ ̴̨̨ ̷̢̛ ̛҉ -͡͏̕-̧͞-̵͞͡ ̛͘͢͝ ͟͠ ̢̧ pet match Kaon. Pet need Kaon… ̴͞ ̵̴̷ ̵̶ ͠҉ ̴̢̕̕ ͞͞ ̸̧͘͜ ̸̴͢͠ ̴̢̧͜ ̴̵̢ ̴̶̷ ̕͡ ̴̷̧̡ ̧̡͟ close! C-uute!” Vos trilled happily.

A shuffling noise came from your right as Vos scooted up beside you. He wrapped his arm around you and pulled your meek frame flush to his side. He gave you a series of cordial pats and laughed all the while, treating your grave mutilation like it was nothing more than a joke. Vos nuzzled his face plate against your cheek as the nauseating crackle of glass popping between his digits broke the uneasy silence. He had just shattered your optic.

\--

[[How are things? We just caught up with the target, so we’ll be a few more cycles. You’re not causing Vos too much trouble, are you?]] A comms message from Kaon startled your numbed system.

You didn’t reply.


	11. Warranty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vos reluctantly returns you to Kaon at the end of your team building session. Upon discovering your injuries, Kaon is determined to find you replacement parts; no matter how hard they are to come by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Mild Pet Play | Implied Terrible Things

The last few cycles of your life were a painful blur. A blindfold of thinly woven mesh bandaged your visage, but Vos did nothing more to ease the throbbing ache in your helm. He was adamant about teaching you tricks and blindly ran you through a rigorous training regimen. Sit, jump, roll-over… It was all pathetic, demeaning, nonsense. You lacked the will to challenge Vos after he robbed you of your sight and quietly obeyed his embarrassing demands. You desperately clung to the hope that compliance would ease your misery.

Seemingly, it had paid off. Vos lounged casually on the sofa, gently running a servo down your frame while you laid across his meagre lap. Your cheek reluctantly came to rest on his thigh. His wiry build felt jagged against your delicate face plates. You squirmed to find a better position, but nothing granted you solace from the discomfort.

In the darkness, your processor aimlessly forged thoughts of better things. Kaon's lap was far more comfortable, though the mech never gave you an opportunity to use it as a headrest. His servos were soothing and radiated with a tingling warmth that Vos' sharp digits sorely lacked. Your spark stuttered with bleak hollowness as you yearned for Kaon's company. The feeling was fleeting, lasting only a nano-klik before your tank churned with embarrassment and self loathing. There were so many things wrong with liking him.

" ̵̨̦͒ ̵̪͉̆̽̄ ̵̺̲̎ ̸͔͊͌͑ back. Come ̷̛̦ ̴̻̮͗̑̂ ̷̤͔͛͜ ̷̨̚ ̵̘̈́ ̸̩͙̍ letsss sshow tricks!" Vos piped up with renewed eagerness.

He tapped his claws on your helm, beckoning you to get up, but there was no need for it. You panicked and sat upright at the mere mention of having to show off your tricks to the rest of the crew; spark fluttering with dizzying dread.

"Vos! You c-can't! What would Tarn think if he saw me like this?! You weren't supposed to lay a servo on me." You bemoaned, wearily setting your pedes on the floor.

"Tsk! Not kill ̷̛̦ ̴̻̮͗̑̂ ̷̤͔͛͜ ̷̨̚ ̵̘̈́ ̸̩͙̍. Hurrrt? Vos help, nottt hurt much." He scoffed, taking horrible offense in your lack of gratitude for his 'assistance'.

Tension on your collar pulled you forward. Reluctantly you stood up, nearly falling over as Vos snapped the leash.

"No ̷̛̦ ̴̻̮͗̑̂ ̷̤͔͛͜ ̷̨̚ ̵̘̈́ ̸̩͙̍. Walkk like pettt." Vos snarled through a mangled hiss.

"Vos, please-" There was no use in pleading, your desperation fell on deaf audials. 

Vos yanked on the tether one more time, forcing you to the ground. You stumbled about in the darkness, struggling to remain stabilized as you bumped against fixtures with the grace of a drunkard. An exasperated sigh washed over your anxious sensors. Vos had no patience for your handicap and roughly dragged you across the tiles. Yipping, you hobbled at a decent pace and stayed a few steps behind the mech. The groove of a door frame slid across your palm as you abandoned the privacy of the habsuite.

Your spark fluttered with trepidation that intensified with every step you took. The barren and linear halls of the ship felt directionless, even with Vos’ guidance your processor struggled to cope with the lack of visual information. Boisterous conversation echoed against your audials, drowning out the sound of your pedes as you trekked closer. They must have had a good hunt. Their vocals radiated with high spirits but soon fell silent as you entered. A thick odor of spilled energon wafted over you, overpowering your sensors and choking out the air in the room. You nearly wretched, but there was nothing more to purge from your empty tank.

“Looks like the two of you are getting along well. No one tried to kill each other?” Tarn’s smug chuckle felt like knives chipping away at your fragile ego.

“Nottt kill! ̷̛̦ ̴̻̮͗̑̂ ̷̤͔͛͜ ̷̨̚ ̵̘̈́ ̸̩͙̍ good pet. Tteeach tricks! Watch! ̷̙̝̎͊̃͑ ̶͓̍ ̷̬̳̠̤̿ ̷̩́̂̎ ̵̪̱̗̜͊ ̵̧͓͎̮̍͑̆͠ ̷͔̭̀͂ ̸̥̄͐̂̿ ̷̣̼̈̚ ̷͍̒̃͛̏ ̶̩̝͚̀ ̸͇̍ Sssittt.” Vos ordered, his vocalizer booming with pride.

The mech tugged on your leash, signalling for you to heed his command. Even without vision, you felt their optics fixated upon you. Their scornful gaze stoked the flames of your embarrassment to feverish levels. A soft whimper left your vocalizer as you knelt down and placed your servo over your knee. You couldn’t control the trembling that shook through your frame.

Laughter resonated through the room, followed by the sound of clapping servos; their commentary drowned out by the anxious ringing in your head. Despite the amusement, there was hardly a hint of malice between the fields of the rowdy bunch. It was mildly comforting. A shy smile cracked across your lips as you turned your helm towards the voices, trying to pinpoint Kaon out of all the noise, but it was impossible.

“ ̷̨̃̍ ̶̤̺͙͓̌̂͘ ̸̧̬̃̈́ ̶̺͍̝͛̚͝ͅ ̷̞̪̎̌ ̸̢̣͈̪̅̀ ̴̡̜̤̯͐̂ ̶̳̖̜̼̌ ̵̛ r-r-roll!” Vos chirped, twirling the tether in a circular motion.

You did as you were told, tucking your wing tight against your back and rolling over. The leash wrapped around your neck cables, but Vos quickly uncoiled it. 

“ ̷̛̦ ̴̻̮͗̑̂ ̷̤͔͛͜ ̷̨̚ ̵̘̈́ ̸̩͙̍ s-so good. Haveee t-treatt.” Vos lathered you up with praise.

He extended a servo to you, placing it close enough to your face that his digits prickled against your proximity sensors. Curiously, you nudged it and were welcomed by the scent of an energon cube. Your empty tank lusted after the morsel, but your modesty momentarily barred you from taking it. It was an embarrassing act to do, let alone in front of an audience. Your indecision made Vos grow impatient as he gestured closer and borderline pressed the treat against your lips. With a reluctant squeak, you bite down on the cube and drew it into your intake. The snack was too big to eat in one chomp. Awkwardly, you made a series of smaller nibbles to consume it and lapped your glossa against Vos’ palm. He tasted like ash. Vos laughed and ran his other servo across your helm in a comforting pet.

“ ̷̛̦ ̴̻̮͗̑̂ ̷̤͔͛͜ ̷̨̚ ̵̘̈́ ̸̩͙̍ g-go ̷̝̯̽͐͊ ̷̺̠̽̏͠ ̷̧̨̛̥̄ ̸͇̙̽̾ ̸͚͂ͅ ̷̻̫͊͐ ̶̤̖̑͌̈́ ̸̺̰̞̑̉ ̴͈̬̅͂ ̷̪̭͈̅̏ ̴͇͖̱͐̿̔ ̷̧̹̥̓̈́̚ to Kaon.” The mech cooed and dropped the leash.

You were finally free. With a happy sigh you bounded away from Vos, scampering in the direction of the other’s voices, but a wall of hesitation stopped you in your tracks. Where was Kaon? In the inky darkness you scanned for him, trying to home in on any distinguishable sound, but the crowd was quiet. They were treating it like a sick game, holding silent and waiting for you to guess the right bot.

It was infuriating. Your smile folded into a perturbed pout and you charged forward. Nothing was there. Maybe you went in the wrong direction? As you grumbled, you heard someone shuffle. Your audials eagerly perked at the meek sound. It must have been Kaon giving you a hint! With glee, you bolted to the mech.

You hit something, smacking full force into it with your helm and knocking you onto your rear. The surface was bevelled like a ramp. Blinking behind your blindfold, you struggled to guess your bearings, but nothing made sense. There were no structures like that inside the ship.

A pair of hefty servos clamped around your frame and hoisted you up. They held you in a precarious hug. Only your chest plate pressed against their frame while your legs dangled in the air. Helex? You pushed a pede forward and swayed into a void. Panicking, you pulled back and scuffed your leg along a maze of razor-sharp blades as you drew your limbs tight against your frame.

“Oh, be careful!” Tesarus snickered, adjusting his grasp on your tiny frame so you couldn’t venture into the grinder.

“S-sorry.” You squeaked, unsure of what to say.

Tesarus was an enigma. Despite the months of captivity, you never interacted with the massive mech, nor had he spoken more than a single word to you. It was awkward that your first encounter was such a tactile one. 

“Well, now I’m hurt. You chose Tess over me?” Kaon’s voice piped up from below, drenched in mock despair, but the act dissolved as he chuckled.

"Shhh! You could have given me a hint, I can't see a fraggin' thing!" You smirked down in his general direction.

"You'd see better without that blindfold over your little face." Tesarus commented on the obvious.

Something tugged on the mesh of the blindfold, freezing your spark instantly. No no no! Your processor screamed as you shuttered your hollow optics and yanked the fabric down. There was no reason to be afraid. Vos would get in trouble, not you, but you feared the discovery would cause a scuffle between the group.

"Aaah! No! You can't take it off! Please…" You stammered for an excuse "Vos said only Kaon can remove it."

To your relief, Tesarus honoured the request and let go of the blindfold. He lifted you away from his frame and set you back down towards the floor. You were eager to have your pedes on something safe and solid, but the giant merely passed you off.

"I guess I can't ruin his fun then." Tesarus sighed.

Familiar arms caught and cradled you securely. The static warmth that radiated from Kaon's frame felt oddly comforting. You nuzzled against his neck cabling and shuffled to get comfortable. Finally, your processor relaxed in the safety of his embrace. The ordeal was over.

"Vos, didn't put you through too much, did he?" Kaon queried in a soft voice.

"No. It was fine… I'm just tired, that's all." You mumbled out a lie, borderline slipping into recharge.

"Aww! Cute! I get to do team building wit 'em next time! Um, if that's all right." Helex hollered, enthusiastically volunteering himself for your next misadventure.

The brute startled you back into the waking realm. Your spark raced as you clung to Kaon. Helex was the only other mech aboard the ship you held any semblance of trust in. Despite his amicable nature, you hoped dearly that there wouldn't be a next time. 

Their conversations hushed as you tuned out the chatter. You didn’t want to know what they were negotiating on your behalf. All you wanted was a soft berth to slumber away the day’s insanity. Kaon departed from the group, the clattering nails of his turbo fox followed in step with him. He didn’t bother with conversation and kept at a mild pace that lulled your processor.

\--

You woke up on a soft but cramped surface. Groggily, you felt around only to meet the jagged fur of Kaon’s pet. The turbofox had curled up around you, draping your frame with his bushy tail while you rested your helm across the bulk of his body. He yipped happily as you woke and lapped his glossa against your face; the blindfold was gone. You opened your optics, clinging to the hope that the horrors you experienced had only been a cruel dream, but darkness surrounded you.

“Did you have a good recharge?” Kaon queried from across the room. 

His voice was calm despite your condition. You wondered if he could even see what had happened to you.

There was pressure from the other side of the sofa. Presumably Kaon sat down beside you. He grabbed your servo and carefully placed the curved handle of a warm mug between your digits. The container held delectable caffeinated energon. 

“T-thank you. How long was I out for?” You smiled, skirting around your injury as you took a sip of your drink.

The brew was mildly sweet and smooth. It blanketed your intake in a cozy warmth that calmed and awoken your tired spark.

“Only a few cycles, my dear.” Kaon answered.

He leaned in close, guiding a servo up your left cheek and stroking the surface. His thumb came to rest under your optic lid. You flinched, but couldn’t blink from the pressure of his digit. Kaon sighed, his vent brushing up against your plating. He was uncomfortably close and probably staring at you at point blank range.

“Oh sweetie, why did he do this to you? I told you to message me the moment Vos started being weird. Why didn’t you-”

“I did nothing… I… I was too scared. What could have you done? Hmm?! You’d be too far out on a hunt to come back in time.” You abruptly cut Kaon off.

“I could have told Tarn. Vos would have stopped if he got a transmission from him.” Kaon let out a deep sigh, pressing the crest of his helm against yours “What am I going to do with you? Optics are quite hard to come by.”

“Vos… Vos fraggin’ maimed me and all you’re worried about is how I will get another optic?” You griped.

“As much as I'd enjoy it, I can't have you clinging to me constantly because you can't see. I’ll get you fixed up. Please don’t-”

“Seriously! No 'Oh, Vos is a terrible spawn of glitch' or “I'm sorry I left you alone with a crazy mech' just… You know, Vos told me some things about you. Maybe he was right.” You interrupted again, allowing your anger to get the better of you as you jabbed back at Kaon with the threat of lurid gossip.

The mech backed off, giving you the much needed personal space as you toiled with your emotions. Kaon mumbled something under his vents while his field grew dark with concern. He was rife with worry, which made you fear that the vitriol Vos spewed carried some truth. You sipped at your drink to distract yourself.

“Well, Vos certainly has an odd way of doing things… What exactly did he say about me?” He asked, filled with cautious intrigue.

“Just… Um…” You weren’t expecting the mech to be so forward “Bad stuff… I m-mean I don’t know if they’re true or not. It’s really hard to believe anything Vos says, but I want to make sure-”

“Go on.” Kaon’s vocals were eerily emotionless.

“He said you um have a habit of collecting bots… A-and there were a lot before me...” Your vocalizer quivered as you choked the words out; it hurt more than you’d care to admit.

Kaon chuckled shyly as relief washed over his burdened field and cleaned away any prior hint of dread. His laughter made you crack a slight smile. You felt silly for believing Vos’ lies.

"How embarrassing! Ahaha, I was expecting so much worse! He's only half right. I do have a bit of a bad habit… Well, had one." There was trepidation in the mech's vocalizer as he struggled to admit his vices "You’re not the first, but I’d like to hope that you’d be the last."

You almost spat out your drink. The way Kaon so casually admitted to keeping people made you feel ill. Considering your circumstances, you shouldn't have expected anything less from him. Briefly, you wondered what happened to those that came before you; it only made you wretch.

"K-kaon, what the frag. How many have you had?" Your grim intrigue got the better of you.

"Ah ha… Is a precise count really that important? Far too many." His voice was painfully flustered as he drifted closer to you and rambled incoherently "You should be proud of yourself! You’ve lasted the longest. It's given me time to- Well… You're not just an object, okay? Believe no one when they tell you that."

There was no way to respond to him. You took a moment to set your cup down and precariously wormed away from the safety of Kaon's turbo fox. You parted your lips to speak but, before you got a word out, the mech started chattering again.

“I do care about you. I'm sorry if you think any less of me because of what I’ve done, but I need to be honest.” He concluded with a hefty sigh.

Kaon didn’t apologize for his unsavoury hobby. His only remorse stemmed from the discomfort that it brought you… From how it warped your opinion of him; it was frighteningly selfish. You hated yourself for daring to feel a sliver of pity for the mech. He was a monster, no matter how he hid behind a charming facade or tenderly coated his words. Your spark felt hollow and desperately wanted to believe otherwise.

You reached out, searching for the mech’s frame. Your digits brushed against smooth cylindrical plating and curled around Kaon’s wrist. His coils crackled from your unexpected touch and prickled you with static.

“Thank you for being honest.” You smiled through your words, but the simper warped into a playful smirk “How many other dark secrets do you have hiding in your closet?”

“I think you know the answer to that, my dear. Besides, it's not fair for me to spill all my secrets without you hearing some of yours. Do tell.” Kaon’s retort suffocated the mischief of your inquiry in a sea of delightful sadism. 

"Um…" You stuttered as the mech grabbed your servo and derailed your processor "I don't know if I have any secrets that are that bad."

"Nothing at all? I'm sure you must have something... Ah! I know!" Kaon exclaimed.

He loomed over you, dwarfing your petite frame beneath his. Shy curiosity pulsed in Kaon’s field, contradicting his dominion over you. He brought his lips close to your audials and proceeded in a provocative whisper.

“Back on Messatine… That day I caught you self-servicing. Vos said you were calling out for me. Is that true?” His query was dangerously lewd “Who were you thinking about?”

Your spark fluttered in dizzying embarrassment. Vos always tried to stir things up between the two of you. Honestly, you wished Kaon had forgotten about the incident, but it evidently lingered in his mind. Your cheek plates grew hot with an inescapable blush as you toiled with a response. You were certain he already knew the answer to his query and wanted to hear you admit to it.

“Ahhh! Why?!” You squeaked, pressing into the sofa to shield yourself from his question.

“Please? I need to know. It’s been plaguing my processor since the day it happened. Who was it? You weren’t thinking about Helex, were you? He’s cute, but far too b-” 

“H-Helex? Primus, no!” You laughed nervously “I wasn’t being loud. I’m sure Vos just lied to mess with you… But…”

“But?” Kaon echoed back with a chuckle.

“Shut up! It was you, okay? I was thinking about you...” Your response trailed off into a hesitant mumble.

You hid your face behind a servo, but it did nothing to lessen the embarrassment. Kaon patted the top of your helm and swept you up in a warm hug. He nuzzled his cheek plating against yours, overwhelmed with delight, but he didn’t dare to kiss you.

“I’m glad you feel that way.” His joy was infectious.

You cracked a smile, but feared that owning up to your lewd thoughts would invite further advances. You struggled with whether that was something you wanted.

“So about my optic… You said they’re scarce, but Nickel must have some lying around, right?” You piped up, wanting to change the subject as you wormed out of Kaon’s embrace and wobbly stood on your own accord.

“Hmmm, unlikely. If she had any repair stock, they’d be too big for you. Optics are also fragile, so they’re difficult to scavenge. We’d have to go hunt someone down with a similar frame type as yours and not be too rough with them.” Kaon pondered through the options, holding onto your servo as he hunkered down to your level. “I can help you see until we source one for you.”

Needle-like tendrils prodded at your left side, searching for ports to plug into; the mech’s intentions were crystal clear. It was an awkward affair. You let your own cable free and blindly searched up Kaon’s frame. He laughed softly as it flickered about and helped you guide it in. 

Your systems stalled momentarily and rebooted in a violent shudder. Electricity crackled as Kaon shared his visual radar with you. Crimson lines criss-crossed against the surfaces in the room, expertly mapping out all the contours. It was nice to see again, but you’d never be able to get used to the strange third-person view it provided. You watched your lips curl into a soft smile as you hugged the mech.

“I’m happy to give this another try! The ship isn’t as beautiful as that forest was, though.” Kaon spoke directly to your processor, expression remaining still.

“It’s fine. T-thank you.” Your thoughts were laid bare, there was no reason to speak.

Kaon walked out of the living area and towards the door of the habsuite. You were tethered to the mech and had no choice but to follow, though you shot him a wry look. Where was he heading at this hour? Nickel would be furious if he bothered her this late in the evening.

“Oh, that’s cute! Don’t fret, we’re not going to visit Nickel.” Kaon smirked, intruding on your worries. “I just thought of someone who might be able to spare an optic.”

You bit your glossa. It was difficult enough to curate your words, let alone filter your thoughts. You kept numbly quiet, allowing the mech to lead you out of the room. Glowing filaments flickered down the hall as Kaon washed the visual field in another coat of static electricity. It picked up the wiring in the walls and bathed the area in a smooth glow.

“Aha, what do you mean spare an optic?” Your vocalizer quivered audibly as grim assumptions played out in your mind.

“Well, you can function fine with just one. I’m sure they won’t mind.” Kaon concluded.

His pleasant tone only sugar-coated the sick intention of his words. You didn’t want to know who you would pay a visit to tonight.


	12. Spare Parts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaon keeps his promise to get you fixed up, even if the pieces come from an unsavoury source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Canon-typical Violence | Mildly Naught Stuff

You had never been to this section of the ship before, or perhaps you didn't recognize it under the palette shift of Kaon's radar. It was plain and utilitarian. The impressive height of the ceiling made the corridors feel narrow in comparison despite having a wide berth. Overwhelmed with mindless worry, you struggled desperately to stop yourself from forming any cohesive fears while linked to Kaon. He was oddly composed and didn't allow his thoughts to drift into you unless you were privy to them. You were envious of his privacy and could feel him idly plucking your processor.

A shudder wracked your frame as the electric mech blanketed the area in another wash of static. The dull visual field grew alight with scattering flickers that danced across any outcropping on the flat contours of the barren hall.

You missed it. Kaon halted in front of a massive door set in the wall. It was large enough that it could have belonged to a hangar, or garage, and was covered in a corrugated material. Kaon pressed a buzzer on the control module and awaited reception from whoever was inside. He turned to cast his sightless gaze in your direction, smiling kindly without a single word.

"Kaon… Vos isn't in there, right?" You barely squeaked out the question.

"Vos? No, of course not. I wouldn't dare bring you anywhere near him after what he did." Kaon reassured, petting your helm.

"...Then who's optic are we tak-"

"Hahaha! What?" Kaon cut you off, bursting into a fit of laughter that reverberated through your entire frame.

It was a few moments before he regained his composure, stifling the laughter and holding onto your servo.

"And you think I'm the terrible one, when you conjure thoughts like that? I never said we would rob someone of their optic. Oh, but what a delightful punishment that'd be!" Kaon smirked, blossoming with unsavory excitement.

The mech's sickening emotions seeped into you. They ignited a thirst for vengeance that you were powerless to pursue without him. An optic for an optic. How sweet it'd be to make Vos pay for what he did. To see the vile little mech broken and groveling for mercy… No… Your tank bubbled at the ill feelings that boiled within you. 

“Come in!” A voice called out from the room, breaking the silence and dissolving Kaon's shared sadism. 

The door clattered open, washing the hall in a sudden warmth. Kaon ushered you to step inside. You tried to scan the interior, making use of the mech’s radar, but it picked up nothing beyond the first few steps. The looming ceiling cast an eerie shadow on the room and the floor was littered with clumps of nondescript debris that you couldn’t make out. Reluctantly, you entered the doorway and stepped into darkness.

In a jolt of electricity, the room came alive. It was far different from Kaon’s habsuite. There was no upper loft, and the walls were stacked high with shelves that carried an assortment of items. A massive berth sat behind a short room divider, overlooked by a window that spanned the entire west wall. A huge storage closet blocked the habsuite’s unkempt kitchen area. Everything was in a state of disarray, with small trinkets haphazardly strewn about. Despite the mess, and much to your relief, there wasn’t an odour.

Helex lounged on a sofa, his attention locked onto an adjacent television screen. The monitor displayed an eerie white glow that flickered in sync with the noise emanating from the device. It sounded like he was watching a movie, but Kaon’s vision couldn’t discern the picture.

“What brings ya in? I’m surprised yer still awake, Kaon. ‘Specially after today’s hunt. Ya gave it to ‘em good today-” The brute chuckled, casting his molten gaze down at you, which instantly eroded his pleasant mood.

“Aaaah! W-what the frag happen’d to yer face?!” He hollered in surprise, leaping up from his seat far faster than a mech his size should have been able to.

You flinched, tensing your frame and clutching your arm against your chest. Through gritted denta, you tried to settle your racing spark but trembled as Helex sprung at you. Even as he hunkered down to get a better look, he was still nearly double your size. Helex paid no mind to the fact that Kaon was tethered to you, unaware that you were sharing the mech’s vision, and swept you up in his massive servos. A sharp yelp rang out from your vocalizer, you winced in unison with Kaon as it dragged him along; dangling precariously from the cables. The visual field fizzled in and out of focus as shocks of current bit into you. 

“Awh! Slag! Sorry! I didn’t see ya guys were attached...” Helex tried to whisper, but he was still frighteningly loud, unable to stifle his emotions as he set you down low enough for Kaon to comfortably stand.

“Ha ha! It’s fine.” Kaon accepted his apology on your behalf, cracking a shy smile at the whole situation.

“Did Vos do this?” He huffed, the surprise in his EM field boiling over into concern.

You blinked your hollows. You hadn’t expected Helex to care much, let alone actually be worried about the state of you. His smaller set of servos grasped at your faceplating, tugging down on your cheeks as he awkwardly fondled you. With a sense of intrigue, he traced a digit up your left cheek and intruded along your optic lid, daring to sweep into the void orbit. 

That wasn’t somewhere bots were meant to touch… The area was numbly sore, but the sensation of Helex intruding there sent searing pain coursing through your helm. It was a grim mixture of agony and utter disgust. Static choked out your warbling shriek.

“Don’t touch it!” Kaon growled, splitting the torment with you “Sorry… Vos did a hack job… T-the energon lines are still intact though. We’ll pay Nickel a visit in the morning.”

Kaon grimaced, placing a servo over his left optic void to conceal his distress; your connection intertwined far more than just your emotions.

With a heavy sigh, Helex ceased his prodding and set you down. He clumsily patted the top of your helm with his large servo. There was so much weight behind his crude digits, but his touch was gentle.

"Didn't mean to hurt ya… Hmm? If it's that bad why are ya visitin' me instead of Nickel right now?" Helex quipped at Kaon, dubious of his venture.

You cocked your helm towards Kaon, nodding in agreement with Helex. The med bay seemed like the more logical venture, unless Kaon wanted to scrounge for an optic amidst all the mess in Helex's habsuite. 

"Oh, we couldn't possibly bother Nickel at this hour. She'll be livid enough as it is. You know well why we're here, Helex." Kaon grinned wickedly, throwing an arm over you and pulling you close against him "As much as I enjoy the intimacy, I think they'd go mad having no independence… And we need an optic for that."

Helex's EM field ran cold. Nervously, he glanced around the room and crossed his small set of arms over his waist. It was hard to tell if he was looking for something or couldn't handle the implications of Kaon's words.

"Ah ha ha! I don't know what yer talkin' about, Kaon. The only optics in here are the 'uns stuck in my face and I'm not partin' with those." Helex chuckled.

He was lying. His sudden sheepishness lent no credit to his words. You didn't know why Helex was so bothered by it… Or why he collected optics, but you were certain he was lying. Kaon shared your doubt, filling the air with another blast of static to sharpen his sight. His attention focused on the storage locker near the kitchen. He strode towards it without asking and brought you along for the venture. 

The cabinet was big enough to hide a bot twice your size. Its door felt cold to touch, despite the unusual warmth that permeated the rest of the habsuite. Kaon grabbed at the handle to open it but Helex swiftly slapped a servo against the door to seal it shut. The large mech continued his nervous laughter, pressing his weight into the locker with enough force that the metal creaked.

"Helex, stop being so silly! We only need one. You've been quite the glutton if you don't have a single optic right now." Kaon teased, trying to move the mech's massive servo but he wouldn't budge.

"D-don't! If Tarn found out-"

"Tarn already knows. He just doesn't like it when you indulge yourself on hunts. Oh, but they taste so much better when they're fresh, don't they?" Kaon coyly interrupted.

Your spark dropped to the pit of your tank at the implications of Kaon's words. Shuddering, you looked towards the cabinet; it was a storage cooler for parts. Not parts used for repairs but consumed in pursuit of satisfying a grotesque hunger. You wanted to believe Kaon was making a sick joke at Helex's expense, but his field didn't carry a hint of fallacy. Collecting optics was a morbid hobby you might have been able to accept considering who the DJD were. Eating them… The thought momentarily froze your processor in disgust. It was a cruel fate that a mech obsessed with cooking delicious things would harbor such an unsavory palate.

"Just the optics, r-right? You don't e-eat the rest of them, do you?" You chattered fearfully.

"Ha ha! Ya make it sound fraggin' awful when ya say it like that..." Helex grinned, desperate to mask his embarrassment.

“Helex! You don’t- Seriously!?” You could barely gasp out the words.

The monstrous mech lapsed into silence, unable to respond to your glaring accusations. Helex’s smile became unbearably goofy as he slunk back and relinquished his guard on the cooler. 

Kaon hastily flung the door open, barely letting you scamper out of the way. Pressed against his side, you felt your plating prickle as he drenched the interior in a quick wash of radar. You wished you hadn’t seen it… Shuttering your hollows did nothing to erase the image that was burning into your mind.

The storage cabinet was filled with parts, and the stench of energon was suffocating. Everything was neatly arranged, betraying the disorderly nature of Helex’s habsuite. Boxes upon boxes of small, indiscernible bits lined the top shelves with the content of each row becoming increasingly more horrifying as you worked your way down. Servos, limbs… It was a chop shop. Kaon stepped into the cooler, towing you along as he reached for a box on the top shelf. You couldn’t ignore any portion of the visual field. A small torso and what appeared to be severed helms... You lost focus as your knees gave out from beneath you; frame feeling light and tingly as everything went black.

It was momentary. Reality came crashing back in a fierce crackle of current that burned through your lines and forcefully restarted your stalling systems. A coarse yelp garbled from your vocalizer as every strut in your body spasmed in fleeting agony. Your denta clenched down so hard you could have sworn you chipped them, nearly severing your glossa. It took your processor a few nano-kliks to realize what happened. That fragger! He shocked you.

The electric mech caught you by the waist, struggling to maintain his own balance. He swiftly dropped to his knees and precariously held onto the box in his other servo. Your frame trembled, it wasn’t because of your own motion; Kaon was violently shuddering. The voltaic coils on his shoulders flickered with dwindling energy that sputtered out as your shared visual field dissipated into darkness.

"Try not to pass out while we’re linked, my dear. We don't want to both end up on the floor.” Kaon’s voice echoed through your processor; his words were calm but laced with exasperation. 

“ T-that's no reason to zap me! It really hurt! " Your thoughts growled back at him, concealing the pain with anger.

"It wasn't intentional. I apologize." His message wired directly to you before he spoke outloud "Ooof, you poor thing. I keep forgetting you have such a weak tank, we'll have to work on that."

Emitting a deep vent, Kaon stood up. His frame ceased to quiver as he exited the cooler and composed himself. The door slammed shut behind you before the mech reignited his radar; having the mercy to spare you from looking inside once more.

“Are ya guys okay? It wasn’t that bad in there, was it? I keep it pretty clean.” Helex commented, he must have heard the commotion but didn’t see what took place inside.

“We’re fine.” Kaon replied with a smile.

Kaon still held you under his arm, carrying you over to the unoccupied sofa and setting the box on the coffee table. You wiggled away, peering into the container with morbid curiosity; it was teeming with optics. A frown soured your expression. You shouldn’t have expected anything less. The sight of the orbs didn’t bother your tank as much as you thought it would. There was some level of disconnect seeing them collected in a box like mechanical marbles.

“Ha ha! I don’ think I have a complete set. What color are ya lookin’ for?” Helex piped up.

The big mech let go of his anxiety, returning to his cordial disposition; there was no coming back from this discovery. He sat himself across the table and shuffled through the box, removing spheres that were too large or damaged to be of any use to you. You blinked, watching intently as Kaon sorted through them as well. There were no colors. Occasionally, you’d flinch when the mechs brought optics up to your face trying to gauge the size relative to your hollows.

“Helex, you know I can’t see colors anymore. For all I know you have a terrible hot energon-pink paint job.” Kaon taunted.

He smirked rather handsomely as he jabbed at the larger mech; you grew hot with a blush as you caught sight of it. Your expression on the radar only displayed a bashful smile, despite how intense it felt. It was bizarre, and you knew Kaon couldn’t see it either. He didn’t need to… Your feelings seeped into the mech again and he quickly turned his helm towards you, poking a digit against your cheek.

“What are you grinning about? You’re probably neon green or yellow.” He made a wild guess at your paint scheme.

Helex snickered and continued sorting, daring not to spoil Kaon on what colors you actually were.

\--

The box was nearly emptied before Kaon let out a gasp of surprise, clutching an unassuming optic and lining it up against your face. He did this several times while Helex murmured in thought and nodded along with the mech. This was the one.

“It’s gonna look great once Nickel get’s ya all fixed up!” Helex proclaimed, scooping the other optics back into the box and spiriting it back to the grim parts cooler.

Kaon happily handed you the optic, but you intently watched Helex. Briefly, a greedy thought crossed your mind. You had seen arms in the locker… Kaon’s EM field sparked with intrigue that carried to his coils as they crackled with momentary excitement. He was intruding into your processor again and liked the idea. You expected him to speak on your behalf, but Kaon remained silent. You needed to gather the courage to ask yourself if you wanted the part that badly.

“Helex…” You piped up in a near whisper.

“Hmm? Ya?” He caught your soft voice, pausing mid motion while he glanced over at you.

“...C-can… I have o-one of the arms? P-please?” You trembled with each word.

Helex froze up completely. Your request was unexpected and caught him off guard. He bit down on his lip, looking incredibly offended. The mech didn’t want to part with such a precious morsel. His silence was painful, giving the room a tense atmosphere before he burst out into laughter.

“Sure, git over here an’ pick one out. Kaon always has such greedy lil’ playthings.” Helex grinned, opening up the cooler.

“T-thank you!” You cried, completely ignoring what he called you.

Even Kaon seemed surprised by Helex’s sudden generosity. You set the optic down on the table and bolted for the fridge one final time. Kaon followed behind your swift pedes without question. You tried to ignore your surroundings, honing in only on limbs. It was difficult, you could feel your tank bubbling at the prospect and tried to shake the images that were blinding your processor. 

There were three arms, two were from the right side and one was badly mangled, so you snatched the only viable option and quickly booked it out of the chilly hellscape. Wheezing, you almost doubled over and pressed your back against the door for support. Kaon sighed, running a servo over your shoulder to help calm you down. It was done. You had your prize and would never have to venture back in there… Evidently Helex had been snacking on this part. The limb lacked bits of plating that looked like they were pried off by thick denta. Aside from missing the fifth digit on its servo, it was largely intact and only slightly bigger than your other arm. 

You didn’t have time to marvel at the spare part before Helex reached over and effortlessly plucked it from your grasps with his massive servo. He grinned wolfishly, tauntingly dangling the arm high above your helm before he brought it up to his face. 

“Oh no, ya picked the best one!” He cooed with a regretful sigh, reluctant to give it to you.

Helex held the arm gingerly by the servo, observing it with immense scrutiny. He brought his lips against the bicep plating and lewdly dragged his glossa across the limb. Oral lubricant flickered like fading diodes as the mech continued to desecrate the arm, coiling his unnaturally long glossa around it in a hungry embrace that oozed with debauchery. You didn’t know mechs could have appendages like that… 

A pang of flustered warmth overrode the disgust you felt, soaking into you with maddening heat. The soft click of a cooling fan howled like a jet engine amidst the silence in the room. It wasn’t yours. You glared sightlessly at Kaon, the risque display enamoured the damned pervert, and he brought you along for the ride. He must have been pretty pent up… You almost felt offended.

“Ya can have it… But what are ya gonna do for me?” Helex drew back from the arm, proposing an exchange as he licked his lips and curled them into a dangerous smile; bearing his denta like a ravenous beast.

“You’ve been so helpful, nothing’s too much to ask for. We’ll do _anything_ you want, Helex.” Kaon blurted out a breathy reply, lost in his own carnal desires and sealing your fates. 

The monstrous mech chuckled softly. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He thought things over, tapping the index digit of the severed arm against his cheek in place of his own. It would have been morbidly comical, had you been in a different situation. Every nano-klik crawled by, feeling like cycles as Helex took his sweet time to ponder. You bit down on your lip and braced for what was to come.


	13. Exchange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helex's demands become rather heated. Your desperation for repairs drives you to oblige.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Dubious Consent | Awkward First Time | Sticky Interfacing | Exhibitionism

You couldn't bear the tense silence any longer. Your lips parted as if to speak but you could only vocalize a pathetic mumble. Kaon kept his intake shut, consumed by grim curiosity for whatever dreadful exchange Helex was concocting. It was more than just intrigue... His cooling fans hummed in a dull drone, doing little to tame his heated frame. The warmth that emanated from the mech felt comforting as you stood pressed up against him. You should have known better than to seek any solace in it. His deviance crept across the cables that shared his sight; fogging your processor with flustered thoughts.

_“Kaon. Are you all right? You’re pretty warm...”_ You called out to him between the wires, attempting to feign ignorance on what had him so riled up.

He smiled softly but didn’t reply.

"Ah ha! I got it!" Helex exclaimed loud enough to make your spark jump out of its casing as he brandished the severed arm like a sword; pointing its rigid digits directly at you.

"There's three parts to the arm, so ya need to do three things for me… First off, as ya can see, my habsuite is an absolute slaghole right now. So once Nickel gets ya in working order, I want ya to help me clean up." He stated the first demand.

Kaon's EM field fluttered with disappointment at the mundane request. You let out a sigh of relief only to choke it back in as Helex continued listing his demands.

The monster of a mech loomed close. With his small servo, Helex grabbed your arm, sliding down to pinch the tip of your tiniest digit. He wiggled it back and forth, shaking your whole frame.

"Secondly, I want this. Just the small 'un, I'm sure ya can function fine with four digits." Helex smirked.

"W-wait! Like, right n-now? You want me to chop it off?!" You stammered through a pained grimace.

"I mean, ya don't have to if ya don't want another arm." Helex shrugged.

Biting your lip, you weighed your options. The choice was obvious, you’d sacrifice the digit in a spark beat but the concept made you nervous. 

“No, no! I’ll do it. You can have it.” You winced.

“Good! Good! Ya need not give it up right now. Could be tomorrow, could be in a month. Just let me know when yer ready, okay? I wanna know how you_ taste_.” Helex was strangely generous with the terms of the deal, despite the vile nature of it.

You gave the mech a nervous nod. It would have been better if he took the digit right away. The anticipation wouldn't plague you. You were too timid to bring an early end to the misery and Helex was keen to move onto his final demand. He pointed the severed limb at Kaon, pressing a chilly digit against the mech's nasal ridge. You felt him shudder.

"Kaon, how badly do ya think yer lil darlin' deserves to have this?" Helex asked.

You felt as if the fate of your repair hinged entirely on Kaon's answer. The electric mech blinked, surprised by Helex's query. Every nano-klik he wasted stalling his response clawed viciously at your anxious spark.

"They really do deserve it. My darling has been without an arm for quite some time, so it'd mean the world if I could get them fixed up. Please let us have it." Kaon begged passionately on your behalf.

"Hmmmm, I dunno if I can waste somethin' this precious on a toy yer just gonna use up an' toss away, Kaon. How much do ya like 'em?" Helex dug deeper, withdrawing the arm and lazily pressing the servo against his own.

"Tsk! A toy is so superficial, Helex." Kaon sighed through gritted denta, annoyance washing over his torrid systems "They're timid and tiny… Oh, it's so cute! Forgive me and my weak spark, but they're immensely precious to me and I'm quite fond of them."

Kaon wasn't fluffing his reply up with nonsense; his words were painfully sincere. The mech's field flickered with embarrassment at his own admission. You smiled shyly, wishing that the traits Kaon admired about you hadn't been so meek. In time, you hoped to let other aspects of your personality shine through. His servo clumsily reached for yours, intertwining your digits and holding them in a snug embrace. 

“Awwhh, cute! They must be somethin’ special. How about… For my third request… Why don’t ya show me just how much ya care about ‘em?" Helex smirked; his field burning with an immoral craving.

Your spark froze as Kaon’s grip on your servo tightened. His voltaic coils danced with gleeful arcs of current that sharpened your shared vision and sent violent shudders up your spinal strut. He calmed down the moment he saw you flinch, but could barely contain his excitement as electricity crackled between your frames.

“I suppose I can.” Kaon hummed happily.

_“Kaon! Please…”_ You pleaded directly into his processor.

_“Hush, my dear. I don't think Helex wants anything too naughty. You'd like that arm, wouldn't you?”_ His vocals lapped internally against your audials.

Kaon's words calmed your worried thoughts, but the heat that permeated through him contradicted everything he said. You didn't know what to believe.

\--

The coffee table had been cleared off. It was sturdy and easily carried the weight of your frames without wobbling; long enough to lie down on, but it was barely half as wide as a standard recharging berth. Helex sat on the sofa, optics locked upon both of you petitely perched atop the slab. It was embarrassing, but you wanted… No, you needed that arm more than anything and were willing to comply with the big brute's voyeuristic request.

You sat with your legs curled beneath you, pressing against Kaon's thigh as he situated himself beside you in a similar pose. Your shaky servo came to rest atop your knee, but you couldn't keep your wing from trembling. It was so noticeable that Helex reached out to grab it, halting your shuddering for a moment. His large servo effortlessly manipulated your frame, urging you up on your knees to match Kaon's stature as he pressed your chest plates together. You felt like a toy being moved against your will. Helex daintily posed your arms, weaving your servos together as you leaned into Kaon. 

Helex reclined back on his seat, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking in approval of what he had set up.

“If only ya knew how adorable ya looked.” He complimented with a shy chuckle.

Collectively, you grinned at the large mech’s assumption. Kaon’s vision was bizarrely splendid. You almost didn’t miss the colors of the world as you marvelled at your own appearance; scanning every inch of yourself. Even in your current state of disrepair, the smooth contours of your frame were enticing. For the first time in a long while you felt satisfied with your form and blushed with a soft sigh. Kaon’s fondness was seeping into you, bolstering your self perception.

_“You’re so silly. I wouldn’t have kept you around if I didn’t think you were cute.”_ Kaon interrupted your thoughts with his own.

You squeaked and buried your face against his neck cables. It was embarrassing… Even if this was taking place in the privacy of Kaon's habsuite, it would have been embarrassing. You wanted to melt away into nothingness. 

“For ‘bots that came into my room plugged into each other, ya sure are shy.“ Helex grinned.

He thought you were interfacing. Your entire frame shook, but you didn't bother trying to correct him. It was best to pretend Helex wasn't there. Kaon ran his servo up your back and held you close. His touch was comforting.

_"We don’t need to do this if you're not comfortable."_ Kaon spoke only to you.

_“It’s all right.”_ You answered, smiling softly.

The visual field dimmed, focusing on the two of you as the rest of the habsuite faded into darkness. You vented, taking reprieve in the meagre ounce of privacy it gave you. Leaning back from the safety of Kaon’s frame, you left a modest kiss on his cheek that flushed the mech’s system with a moment of tender weakness. The flash of emotion raced by in a nano-klik. Kaon purred against your audials, using the leverage of his larger frame to push you down against the table. You yelped in surprise as he pulled you against himself, spreading your thighs wide-open over his. Instinctively, you blushed and shuttered your optics. The cooling fans in your frame obnoxiously clicked on while you tilted your helm away from Kaon, though it did nothing to shift your shared gaze. His saccharine smile only stoked the heat inside of you as he leaned down and gingerly kissed the crest of your helm.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, my dear, but this is about how much I care about you. Just relax and enjoy yourself.” Kaon’s voice coaxed you with a hushed richness that fizzled with delicate traces of static.

_“...Only if you want to.” _He echoed through your thoughts once more, reaching to cradle your cheek in his servo.

_“Nothing too naughty.”_ Your processor gave an uncertain whimper, betraying the eagerness of your frame.

_“Yes, of course. Tell me to stop if it becomes too much… And please keep your panels closed.”_ Kaon smirked mischievously.

You scoffed at his comment. All the annoyance faded from your body as Kaon kissed you once more, daring to lock lips. He held your palm firmly while his other servo teased at your collar, looping through the ring and tugging it downwards to expose your sensitive cabling. The cursed accessory had become a part of you; it felt alien when it wasn’t in its normal place. He left your lips only to tend to your bare neck, leaving a series of tender pecks that bristled with charge and pleasant numbness. Your muddled processor couldn’t discern if it was a natural reaction or if the mech was using his innate voltage to push you closer to the edge. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

Kaon’s kisses became sloppy as he pressed his glossa against the cables. It almost tickled, but you lost yourself in the dizzying warmth of his intake to utter more than a content murmur. Suddenly, the gentle touch of the mech's glossa grew sharp. Pressure radiated from your neck and sent a fiery shiver down your spinal strut that kicked your fans into high gear; adding kindle to the sultry heat building behind your modesty panels. A whimpering moan left your intake as you squirmed under Kaon, arcing your frame towards him in a moment of thoughtless desperation.

He bit you. Static danced like quicksilver around Kaon's denta as he loosened his grip and lovingly lapped at your tender cables. He paused to smirk, delighting in your reaction before sinking himself into your neck again. You knew it was coming this time, but your frame behaved in the same way as before. You mewled weakly, fighting the urge to satisfy your pathetic perversions. Shame permeated every inch of body; you didn’t want to be thought of as easy.

“Oh my, I had no idea you were into that kind of thing… How naughty.” Kaon playfully taunted, keeping his voice low and luxurious.

He left a final kiss on your neck, admiring the marks he made, then returned his attention to your pouty lips. You didn’t have time to complain about his risque actions as Kaon slipped his glossa into your intake. Eagerly, you returned his intrusion and held the mech in a deep kiss. His frame burned with a lustful hunger that couldn’t be satiated by kissing you. Kaon’s free servo left your collar and worked its way down your frame. He gently traced over your seams, coaxing at them with subtle prickles of current that became increasingly unbearable as he moved lower. 

His servo came to rest on your hip before it slipped underneath you and raised you up against his frame. Your blush became uncontrollably hot as your modesty plating rested against Kaon's. Sending another override command to keep your panels shut bordered on torture as you fought the heat trickling down your thighs; spike begging to be pressurized. It was too much…

A soft click made the world freeze and fall silent. Kaon nearly bit your lip, drawing back from you in surprise, coils sparking nervously. The lust that seeped through his cables and permeated his EM field became blanketed by hesitation. Your modest spike awkwardly pressed against his abdominal plating, craving his intimate warmth. You didn't understand why his demeanor shifted so suddenly, if anything you should have been the one who was embarrassed.

"A'ight! Who opened their panels?" Helex's voice growled, dissolving the illusion of privacy and snapping you back to reality.

It was so easy to forget were you where when Kaon had been distracting you with carnal affection. The electric mech washed the room in a frantic volley of radar, bringing Helex and the habsuite back into existence. 

Helex sat with a leg crossed over his knee and rested his helm in one of his massive palms, placing his other servo over his lap. You couldn't see if he was blushing, but he wore a coy smile and seemed rather pleased. His composure surprised you. The mech had more class in him than to self-service while he watched.

"Who was it? I only heard one of ya." Helex taunted, growing impatient as he waited for your confession.

"It's me. I-i'm sorry." You apologized through a painful grimace.

"No need to be sorry. It's not yer fault, Kaon's lil playthings always lack discipline." Helex's kind smile betrayed the nature of his words "I bet yer array is cute. Lemme see it. Kaon can help ya out."

_“I told you to keep it shut...” _Kaon sighed, his annoyance was demeaning.

_“H-How the frag was I supposed to keep it closed when you did that?!”_ You whined internally.

Kaon chuckled, stifling his laughter with a shy simper. He leaned back and pulled you up onto his lap. Your bare array rested firmly on his panels, filling you with an uncontrollable urge to rut against him. He felt so warm, so pleasant… You rocked your hips, just enough to rub your slicked node and spike against Kaon’s torrid frame. The sensation was short lived.

Regret filled you the instant Kaon grabbed your aft, holding you tightly and turning you around to face Helex. His servos gripped the underside of your thighs, opening you up for your voyeuristic company. A whimper rattled through your frame as the mech’s digits saddled either side of your valve and spread the untouched entrance. It stung momentarily. The rumble of your cooling fans suffocated your shallow vents, but both Kaon and Helex were eerily silent. You blinked, your embarrassment hadn’t muted your audio processors, you could still hear yourself. The mech’s expressions soured into a sickly mix of dread and unease. 

Trying not to cringe was difficult. Your spark raced with uncertainty as you struggled to understand what was wrong. Kaon said nothing about your array the first time he saw it, so why was there any difference now? Their reaction was utterly insulting.

“Y-yer seal is still intact? It’s been months! What have ya fraggers been up to?” Helex choked in surprise.

“Sometimes it’s good to take things slow, Helex.” Kaon's words were light and cheerful; pleased at the unexpected discovery.

_“I thought you knew, Kaon? You were there when I told Nickel.”_ Your thoughts squirmed.

_“I didn’t think you were serious. I thought it was an excuse to keep the good doctor from prodding around down there. My mistake.”_ He smirked within your processor.

“Well… This complicates my plans a lil.” Helex squinted, leaning in for a closer inspection.

You grimaced and tried to back away, but Kaon wouldn’t budge. Helex’s close proximity brushed an unholy amount of heat against your sensitive array. A violent quiver coursed through you. Momentarily, you pondered how nice that monstrous glossa of his would have felt in such a lurid place. A sudden jolt of jealousy ripped through Kaon’s field as his grip on you tightened.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Kaon mocked your perverse thoughts.

In an instant, you were flung back against the table. Kaon pressed into your back with his palm and pushing your chest down while you kneeled with your aft up . You tried to worm free, but he met your resistance with a small, nipping, shock. It wasn't enough to subdue you, though you played along anyway; letting out a sharp yelp and twitching your wingtip violently.

"Kaon, what the frag?! At least play nice with 'em!" Helex scolded, falling victim for your obvious ruse.

"Yeah, please play nice! I'm only in this mess because you got all bothered watching Helex lick that arm." You teased in confidence, emboldened by Helex's concern for your well-being.

"I didn't-" 

"Don't get yer hopes up! I ain't lickin' either of ya tonight. If ya want that yer gonna have to do it yerselves." Helex laughed, cutting Kaon off before he could defend himself.

Your processor was a jumble of mixed emotions. Kaon's apprehensions had mitigated the embarrassment and fear you felt. He was bigger, and certainly bolder, but the intimacy made him vulnerable. Perhaps it was your own hesitations seeping back into the mech. Everything was a dizzying spiral of lust and adrenaline. You couldn't think straight. Humming happily, you swayed your aft to taunt him and reached for your needy array; seeking to satisfy yourself if he wasn’t up to the task.

Helex said something, but you weren't paying attention anymore. Your vision was out of focus and you barely noticed Kaon's servo leaving your back as he moved to grip your aft.

Warmth erupted from the base of your spinal strut. A hot glossa lapped at your valve, pressing around your node in a gentle tease. Gasping sharply, your frame tensed up from the unexpected shiver of pleasure. The pressure on your node faded into the delicate embrace of a soft kiss as Kaon drew back. You should have been angry at his sudden intrusion, but your desperate frame was preoccupied with other issues.

“No one told you to stop.” You grumbled with a cutesy pout.

That was all Kaon needed to hear. He returned to tend to your valve, smothering your node in heated adoration before daring to delve between your folds. Despite the size disparity between your frames, you only felt a nano-klik of discomfort as his smooth glossa filled your tight entrance. You were unfamiliar with such a sensation. It was so unlike your own digits; soft, tactile and delicately pushing into places you had yet to discover. Your thighs grew weak as Kaon’s glossa came to rest against your seal. 

A wave of hesitation washed over both of you. He pressed further, applying gentle tension to the sensitive wall mesh barrier; glossa tip breaching the diminutive opening. You never bothered playing with your seal, treating it like a road block you had no right to remove on your own. You moaned weakly as his glossa continued its assault, prodding snugly only to draw back in a quick moment’s reprieve before giving it another push that burned slightly. It was a cruel tease that boiled the charge growing within you. Kaon refused to test the pliability of your seal any further, savouring it for another occasion as his glossa retreated; leaving your valve with a sloppy mess of lubricants that trickled down your thighs. 

A soft whimper left your intake as you struggled with the lack of attention, feeling dreadfully empty. Kaon was doting as always. After a few teasing laps against your valve, he kissed your node once more, applying a gentle suction that shattered any ounce of decency you had left in your frame. Your moans became a mewling mess as shocks of pleasure erupted through your lines. It was quite the noise; you felt so intensely embarrassed by it that you gave the command to mute your vocalizer as you continued to squirm. Kaon continued for a few more unbearable moments. You were so close…

Kaon’s glossa departed, only to be followed up by a curt smack across your aft cheek that numbed your plating. You grimaced, but not a single sound left you.

“Don’t you dare mute yourself… Unless you want me to frag you so hard that your screams override it.” He threatened through a dark purring growl.

You squeaked as your vocalizer came back online. It was difficult to tell if Kaon was serious or not, but deep indignation burned through his field and you didn’t want to test him… As much as your frame thought it would enjoy a rough frag right now. 

Kaon’s intimidation dissolved the moment you gave into his demand. He smiled kindly and gently patted the aft cheek he had swatted moments earlier; it still stung. Placing his servos around your waist, he flipped you onto your back and placed his helm between your thighs. 

“You’re so good to me. I can’t see if you’re blushing at all, my dear. The only way I know if you’re enjoying yourself is by the sounds you make, and they are quite adorable.” Kaon stated enthusiastically as he licked your thighs clean. 

You quivered with each gentle stroke of his glossa, letting out a whimpering gasp as he kissed the sensitive gap between your valve and spike.

“I want to hear you beg for me.” He smirked wickedly.

Kaon lapped up your spike, smooching the tip before he took it between his lips. His intake wrapped you in pleasurable warmth as his glossa brushed whispers of static against every ridge along your shaft; slowly working his way to the hilt. The mech drew back, allowing half your length to exit his intake before he bobbed down and took you whole once more. He increased the pace, pausing only to momentarily remove himself and plaster your spire with a flurry of kisses; lovingly drenching it in an excess of oral lubricant. 

The heat was unbearable. Your mewling grew increasingly more desperate. You tried to buck your hips in sync with Kaon’s motions, but his firm grasp on your thighs didn’t grant you such luxuries. 

“A-ah! Kao-” It was difficult to even whimper out the mech’s name as your words were interrupted with heated cries.

Your frame hummed with a building charge that begged for release. The blistering drone of your cooling fans couldn’t tame you. You vented heavily; hot air steaming your plating. Kaon pressed the tip of your spike against the back of his intake one final time before he pushed you into a spiralling overload. You gasped out a sharp moan, spike erupting as relief arced up your spinal strut and your wing tip shuddered violently.

Kaon flinched, but you barely registered it. With a delighted sigh, you patted the top of his helm, feebly rewarding him for a job well done as exhaustion rippled through your body. The mech refused to leave your spike and continued sucking. Your sensors were pleasantly numb, you didn’t mind the extra attention until it hit your foggy processor with the realization of what he was doing.

He didn’t waste a single drop of your overload, eagerly lapping up the luminescent fluid that spilled from your spike. You blushed feverishly at the sight of him as he cleaned you off with the utmost care.

Kaon caught you staring and crawled up your lap, wrapping you in a sloppy embrace. He cupped your cheek delicately in his servo, smiling as your afterglow brushed into his field and permeated the cabling you shared.

“It would have been so rude to make such a _mess_ of you and not clean it up, my dear.” He cooed affectionately, gently locking you in a deep kiss that forced you to taste yourself.

You were happy to receive him. The world around you was a comfy heated haze as your systems lagged, slowly recovering from your overload. Kaon felt heavy on top of you, but the weight of his presence soothed your spent spark. He held you in a contented embrace, spooning your smaller frame and holding your servo.

Anywhere else would have been preferable, but you were scrunched together on a cramped coffee table, in a foreign habsuite and with a pair of peeping optics focused on you…

Your hollows peered over Kaon, locking gazes with Helex. The massive mech was incredibly flustered, biting down on the digits of one of his smaller servos. He caught sight of you and shyly looked away, hiding his embarrassment behind a nervous chuckle.

“Oooof! That was a lil’ too cute. I’m sure the guys would be envious if they found out ya put on a private show for me.” Helex grinned.

“Aaa! Don’t you dare tell anyone!” You squealed, jolting upright and nearly bashing helms with Kaon. 

“Eh? I’m… I’m not gonna. Yer-”

You weren’t listening. The reality of the situation made your spark sink. Hot with shame, you writhed out of Kaon’s grasp and made a mad dash for the door. You didn’t give him the opportunity to get up and unceremoniously ripped the cable links from your frame. A violent shock gripped your systems as the world around you became submersed in inky darkness. You stumbled over your pedes, but the familiar hold of Kaon’s servo steadied your stance. 

“I think they’re just a little embarrassed... We’ll be going now. Recharge well, Helex!” Kaon stated bluntly, hastily bidding farewell to the other mech as he ushered you out of the room.

\--

Kaon’s field was tense with concern, but he didn’t speak a single word. You walked for several minutes before he gathered the courage to talk to you.

“I’m sorry.” His sigh was drenched in remorse.

The whole incident felt like a high-grade fueled delusion. Your thighs were still weak from the intimacy you shared with Kaon, but that wasn’t what was troubling your processor. No… You had been so caught up by lust that you allowed your first moment of carnal closeness to be meticulously observed. Biting your lip, you prayed that Helex hadn’t recorded it. You wouldn’t be able to face the mech for a long time; the embarrassment would kill you. A feverish blush warmed your cheeks, you could only imagine how silly you looked right now. Blindly, you reached out to distract yourself in the comfort of Kaon’s servo.

“Sorry? You should be! It couldn’t have been any worse… Unless we did it in front of Vos.” You scoffed over your shame, squeezing his digits tightly.

“Oh, Vos would be awful. He’s not one for watching and I have no intention of sharing you like that.” Kaon spoke calmly, despite the content of his reply “Next time, I’ll ensure we won’t have an audience. If you’d like another.”

His words sent a shiver up your spinal strut. Next time… Your blush was all-consuming and you couldn’t possibly get any more flustered. Squeaking under your vents, you did your best to shake the thought. The temptation of another romp was far too alluring. You hadn’t been given a chance to explore Kaon’s frame yet.

The sudden ping of a message on your comm line made you jump and snapped you out of your lewd fantasies.

||Erm… Sorry! Ya left yer parts here.|| It was from Helex, and the rest of the message consisted of a flurry of exaggerated emoji.

You snickered. After everything you went through this evening and you forgot to take your prize. Your processor wouldn’t deal with it and you burst out into panicked laughter.

“K-Kaonnnn.” You cried, trying to regain enough composure to speak “We left… We left my parts in Helex’s room.”

“Well, I certainly hope he doesn’t want an encore.” Kaon chided deviously.

Now your laughter was unbreakable. The mech had such a dry sense of humour. It was a horrible thing to chuckle at, but you couldn’t stop yourself. Your amusement was infectious and Kaon softly laughed along with you. 

There’d be no encore. You’d have to retrieve the parts in the morning.


	14. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much needed repairs are a cause for celebration, but the revelry leads to unexpected discoveries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> qwq Oh, I guess people are still reading this? Sorry for the wait! I've been a bit dismal and burnt out lately. For the moment, I'm going to change the chapter release schedule to once every 3 weeks to give me a bit of extra time to work on things without having to scramble to maintain a compressed timeline. 
> 
> Thank you for nearly 2k hits! It means a lot to me~
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Alcohol Use | General Drunken Shenanigans

The world clicked back online in a heavy haze as you stirred from your medically induced slumber. You groaned under the weight of your stiff frame. Your optic shuddered against the bright lights of the medbay, giving you a quick moment's glance at Nickel before you voluntarily surrendered yourself back into darkness.

"Oh good, you're alive." The minicon medic smirked deviously in her typical sarcastic fashion.

The steely surface of the surgical berth numbed your spinal strut and sent sharp shivers through your chassis. You abruptly tried to sit, only to find your limbs securely restrained. There was no reason to struggle. Reluctantly, you eased up and idly stared around the room as Nickel untied you. It had hardly been a solar cycle since Vos you robbed of your optic but it felt like a lifetime. Every colour was rich and hyper saturated. You blinked and focused on Nickel. The tiny femme's teal paint job radiated with a brilliance you hadn't noticed before; flecks of metallic shimmers swayed in the light reflected off her rotund frame.

"Don't get too excited. I don't want you wrecking your aft the moment you get out of here… Even if Kaon fixed you up with the pet's chew toys." Nickel jabbed at the condition of your replacement parts.

You chuckled softly at her remark. Indeed, it looked like you had been patched up with scraps confiscated from the turbo fox. You would have preferred that as your tank sunk with the memory of where they came from… And you still owed the big blue bastard a digit. Your processor buzzed with a hasty prayer of thanks to the poor sparks the pieces were scavenged from. You really didn't want to think about it.

"I'll try my best not to." You washed away your ill thoughts with a beaming grin.

Curiously, you flexed the digits on your new appendage. There were a few nano-kliks of input lag before they moved and slowly clenched the ragged servo into a loose fist. It looked out of place on your body, but you were happy to be, relatively, whole again. You relaxed the new arm and softened the smile you wore. The limb was sluggish and unwieldy; you didn’t understand why there was a delay in the motion but Nickel swiftly answered your thoughts.

“It’s gonna be slow for a bit while your frame adjusts to it… So just take it easy. If it doesn’t speed up in a few solar cycles, I might have to chop it back off so it doesn’t rust out your energon lines.” Nickel smirked with a shrug, scooting back from the surgical berth after removing the last of your restraints.

“Rust my lines? How can you smile while saying  _ that _ ?” You chuckled nervously.

“Well it could be a lot worse, couldn’t it?” She scoffed, rolling her optics before dismissively waving at you “Come on now. Up you get!”

Nickel always wanted you out of the medbay in a timely manner, but this occasion was far more urgent. You complied without question, getting up from the berth and making your way towards the door. To your surprise, Nickel followed you; turning off the lights and locking up the medbay as you departed. She had never left with you before and you couldn’t help but stare down the miniscule medic. The weight of your optics didn’t go unnoticed, and she glowered up at you.

“It took for fraggin’  _ ever  _ to get you patched up. You’ve been out for so long that the guys have already come back from their hunt… And oooo, what a hunt! They invited me to go celebrate, but guess what? I was stuck caring for your sorry aft!” Nickel chided “Now hurry up. If they drank all the high-grade I’m gonna be mighty slagged off.”

“High-grade? I thought Tarn was running a dry ship.” You remarked, struggling to keep in stride with the impatient minicon as she sped ahead of you.

“Pffft! Of course not.” Nickel laughed at your assumption.

\--

There was high-grade. The ship’s mess hall was alight with boisterous festivities as the DJD sat around a rustic table topped with a processor-boggling assortment of snacks and drinks. Their EM fields danced in pleasant excitement, washing the room in a welcoming aura that felt so alien aboard the Peaceful Tyranny. You couldn’t help but smile as their energy blanketed you. It was easy to forget that they were commemorating a massacre.

Nickel grabbed a seat next to Tarn, perching on an elevated stool reserved for her. It brought the miniscule medic up to the height of a normal bot and she wasted no time in helping herself to a pint of swirling high-grade. She took a swig, before grinning wildly and waving for you to come over. You wouldn’t dare to sit anywhere near Tarn again, but the other options were equally as unnerving. Kaon was caught between Vos and Helex. Normally, you wouldn’t have questioned sitting next to the blue mech but last night’s events had left a sour taste on your glossa.

You didn’t have a choice in the matter, Kaon shuffled closer to Vos; opening up a space on the bench between himself and Helex. Quietly you sat down, pressing close against Kaon. Much to your relief, Helex didn’t interact with you. Momentarily the massive mech fell silent before turning his attention to Tesarus across the table and starting a conversation with him to distract himself from your presence.

“How’s the arm?” Kaon piped up, happily wrapping his servo around the wrist of your new appendage.

His touch prickled static against the plating… Your plating… It was your arm now. You blinked several times to shake away the mismatching visuals. It’d be awhile before you’d get used to it. Laughing, you clumisly waggled your servo. 

“It’s a little weird, but I can manage. T-thank you.” You replied with a cheesy grin.

Kaon loosened his grip, giving you the opportunity to slip your arm away. You wrapped him in a snug, but awkward, embrace. A soft blush warmed your cheeks as you leaned into his smooth frame. It had been so long since you hugged anyone; you forgot how nice it felt and trembled. Kaon snapped you out of it with a pat on your helm, settling your spark before you got too emotional.

Someone cooed at your display before sliding a glass across the table. It came to a perfect stop right in front of you. The vibrant purple energon sloshed around precariously, nearly spilling out of the cup. You looked to see who it came from, only to spy Vos hunched over and pouring himself a similar drink. The rifle mech’s glass held stains from prior indulgences and a kaleidoscope of high-grade swirled up the inside of his curly straw. A small intake port between his neck cables was sloppily drenched in the fluid. You cringed at the sight as Vos giggled to himself, but there wasn’t any ill intention in his drunken field. 

Letting go of Kaon, you reached for the drink. You glanced back at him, hesitation stopping your servos as you awaited an approval. Kaon laughed, grabbing his beverage and raising it to meet yours in a toast. You obliged, clinking the vessels together.

“To an excellent hunt and Nickel's splendid repair work.” He proclaimed.

Your spark raced with excitement. High-grade was a luxury that had eluded you for stellar cycles. Eagerly you brought the drink up to your lips to give it a taste. The flavour was richly sweet but undercut by a spiced bitterness that held your glossa hostage as the fluid warmed your intake; its strength assaulting your palate.

" ̵̦͗ ̶͎͒ ̴̖̈́ ̸̤͆ ̵̥̊ Good s-stuff?" Vos asked, patting a claw against the bottle he poured the drink from.

"It's good, Vos." You answered sheepishly.

You hadn't formed an opinion on the drink but didn't want to offend the mech. Despite Vos' amicable mood, you were apprehensive and couldn't forgive what his jealousy had put you through. Thinking about it made you sick. You would have gladly written yesterday off if you had the option... Without a hint of grace, you chugged back the contents of your glass; ignoring the sharp taste and reveling in the warmth that permeated your tank.

"Poor little thing thought this was a dry ship!" Nickel jumped to conclusions about your drinking habits as her sapphire optics came to rest on you "Pace yourself, all right? You just had a fraggin' arm reattached."

"S-sorry. I got a little carried away. It's been quite an eventful few days." You apologized.

Your gaze shifted to the empty cup before drifting over to Kaon’s drink. It glowed a welcoming rosy neon as soft bubbles lazily floated through the liquid; paling in comparison to the high-grade you had just consumed. While it distracted you, Vos slinked across the table and refilled your glass. You caught him topping up the bitter brew and couldn’t do anything more than emit a reluctant sigh. Rather than going in for another round, you slid the cup over; swapping it with Kaon’s. 

The electric mech was about to protest but your intake was already on his drink, letting the refreshment wash over your glossa as a much-needed palate cleanser. Smooth, light and bubbly. Your optic grew wide in confusion. It wasn’t high-grade at all.

Everyone at the table burst into laughter. Vos cackled so hard he fell from his seat and comically struggled to climb back up. The pointed fins of his helm bobbed up and down as his fiery optics peered over the ledge. You snickered at his antics, but couldn’t bring yourself to join in on the laughter. Kaon was silent and smiled at you with an embarrassed blush.

“He doesn’t drink.” Helex grinned.

“Well, I do but not  _ much _ .” Kaon quietly defended himself.

You didn’t understand why he was so defensive about it. The others probably teased him, but it was nothing to be ashamed of. Kaon’s overreaction made you curious why he chose not to indulge in such things.

“Why? Are you an angry drunk or something?” You smirked deviously, taking another sip of the energon.

“On the contrary, I’m-” 

“-A bit of a clingy lightweight.” Tesarus interrupted, jumping in on the jab.

"That's quite an understatement." Kaon simpered at his own misfortune.

He idly swirled the glass, hesitant to try the swapped brew. After a moment of contemplation, Kaon gave it a cautious sip. His sip turned into a swig; lacking any repulsion for the drink's flavor and finishing half of it.

"Honestly, give this a few minutes and it might do me in for the night." Kaon laughed, drinking the rest in solidarity with your own brisk pacing.

\--

The night progressed as expected. With a few more drinks in your tank you felt quite cozy, entertaining yourself by watching Nickel challenge Helex to a drinking contest. Your optic twitched as you struggled to comprehend how the minicon consumed so much without getting drunk. The little medic showed no signs of stopping, while her monstrous competitor slumped against the table.

“I told you before, Helex. She’s immune to high-grade. Maybe it's some kind of minicon trait.” Tarn chuckled, leaning back on the arm of his chair and finding humour in his comrade’s feud.

“Shuddup, she’s cheatin’... Ya using a subspace or somethin’.” Helex replied, torn between a whine and a chuckle.

“Pfft! You’ve lost like what- Five times now? Just give up already.” Nickel smirked triumphantly, slamming her empty mug down on the table.

Kaon flinched at the sound, his coils crackled with startled static as he almost dropped the bowl of energon chips he was nibbling on. You shot the mech a wry look, he’d only had the one drink and had been stuffing his intake snacks ever since. There was no way Kaon was that tipsy, but perhaps he wasn’t lying about being a lightweight. Cracking a smile, you nudged him with your elbow. Kaon grinned softly and blindly looked in your direction. Something felt off.

“Hey.” Helex piped up, glossing over his defeat with a change of topic..

The large mech adjusted his posture, sitting up and resting his helm against one of his massive servos. Helex’s molten optics lazily locked upon you as he extended his small arm to point a digit right at your nose. You let out a sharp squeak as he booped your nasal ridge.

“So like… What exactly do ya turn into, anyway? Ya got a wing an’ some wheels.” Helex drunkenly commented.

That was never an appropriate way to start a conversation. You bit down on your lip and tried to plan an amusing response. Come to think of it, you didn’t know what any of their alts were. Some of them were easy to guess, like Vos’ or Tarn’s, but everyone else was a mystery. Rather than echoing the question back at Helex, you decided on a cheekier reply.

“I honestly don’t know any more. How’s my t-cog treating you, Tarn?” You smugly taunted the imposing mech; any inhibition was lost several drinks ago.

“Ha ha ha! What? He took yer slaggin’ t-cog? Ffft! Tarn!” Helex roared.

Tarn’s EM field flickered with a dangerous flash of annoyance that pierced your spark. His once cordial optics burned into a threatening glare. Everyone at the table chuckled at your expense.

“It barely lasted a half-dozen transformations. What a shame. Be glad Kaon took a liking to you, I was going to jettison you out of the airlock.” Tarn sighed, waving a servo dismissively at your snide remark.

You couldn’t deny that he was speaking the truth. Your only rebuke was to stick your glossa out at Tarn, earning you a searing glare. That was enough to dissolve the liquid courage fogging your processor. You timidly ducked behind Helex to avoid Tarn’s ire.

A delicate claw touched your shoulder, startling your systems as Vos snuck up behind you. He vocalized what you could only assume was a chuckle and rapidly patted your plating.

“ ̷̥̆ ̷̫̋ ̶ͅ ̷̥̄ ̵͍̇ ̶͇͑ ̶͚̌ ̵̫̽ ̵̳͝ ̴͙ ̵̼̓ ̸͓̈ ̷̘͗ ̶̱̅ Guess-s alt! ̸͎̇ ̷͚̎ Hold Vos.” He trilled happily, attempting to worm around and scramble onto your lap. 

You grimaced as Vos sandwiched himself between you and Kaon, haphazardly draping his lanky frame over both your laps. Kaon smirked, and pushed Vos off of himself, making you bare the entirety of the wiry mech. Vos was light, despite being several feet taller than you. He was too drunk to care about the vicious vendetta and nestled between your arms. It might have been cute had it been any other mech.

“You’re a gun, Vos.” You groaned the obvious assumption.

The moment you finished your words, Vos shifted. His t-cog whirred into action morphing his shape into something more utilitarian. You didn’t have time to get a good look at him before the butt of the rifle smacked your face, knocking you flat off your seat and as Vos clattered on top of you. Again, everyone cracked up at the stupidity. In a muted whimper, you rubbed your cheek; running your digits over the plating to ensure it wasn’t dented.

“ ̴̡̌ ̷͕̈ ̶̺͋ ̵̯̋ ̵̪͂ ̴̗͘ right! S-s-so sssmart!” Vos praised, clumsily wiggling in alt-mode.

You grabbed the barrel and tipped Vos over. He burst into laughter and transformed back after hitting the floor, curling up next to you. You spent the next minute laying on your back, refusing to get up as you nursed your throbbing helm.

Kaon got up from the table, a look of concern washing over his flustered expression. He reached down to help you up but awkwardly fumbled to find your position. It was odd, but a brazen thought crossed your processor.

“All right! I guess it’s your turn, Kaon. Show me your alt-mode!” You grinned, volunteering the electric mech to be the next participant.

  
  


Kaon froze. His field lit up with terror before sinking into the depths of embarrassment. Chuckling nervously, he proceeded with offering you a servo but spoke nothing on the matter. You locked digits with him, frowning at his reaction and tightening your grip to where it was borderline painful. He lifted you back onto your pedes and removed his servo from your grasp.

“Ah ha ha, I told you that you’d see it when you join us on a hunt.” Kaon spoke apprehensively.

“Fttt! He still hasn’t told ya he’s a-” Helex was ready to spoil the secret.

“Helex!” Kaon choked, static corrupting the fidelity of his voice.

Kaon leapt at the larger mech, aiming to cuff a servo around his intake to shut him up. Helex chuckled and grabbed him, remaining dexterous despite his drunkenness; dangling Kaon by one of his shoulder coils.

“What? Did you say you’re a jet or something cool? Stop being so silly or else I’ll just tell them.” Nickel deviously taunted.

Tarn rolled his optics as the rest of the group began to pipe up with rallying peer pressure.

“Kaon ̶͕̈ ̴̯̅ ̶̘̏ ̵̞̅ ̶̧̉ ̸͔̀ ̵͉̐ ̵̨͂!” Vos encouraged enthusiastically.

“I’ve seen no one else with that alt. It’s pretty unique.” Tesarus commented over a goblet of high-grade with a warm smile.

“No reason to be embarrassed. It’s not like yer a laser pointer or somethin’.” Helex snickered, setting Kaon back down.

You almost felt sorry for the mech, but Kaon’s comrades were more genuine than jeering. It was mildly spark warming. The cozy atmosphere, combined with the high-grade in your tank, made you put on an honest grin.

“I’m sure it’s fine, whatever it is.” You reassured softly, holding his servos. 

“Well, no one has seen it and lived to tell the tale but I guess I can make an exception for you… If you’re willing to  _ volunteer _ .” Kaon devoured his own fears and smirked at the prospects.

His sudden shift in demeanour made your spark uneasy. Kaon’s field danced with eager mischievousness as he awaited your decision. You didn’t appreciate how he could always turn the tables on you.

“Fine. Just don’t kill me, okay?” You gave an exaggerated sigh.

“Of course not, my dear.” His words were smooth and dark.

Kaon slinked from your servos, casually striding behind you. Your spark raced in trepidation that caused your wing to tremble. A sharp gasp left your intake as he suddenly snapped you up in a snug embrace. What the frag was the idiot doing trying to scare you like that? After the initial scare wore off you chuckled at Kaon’s theatrics. Hesitation drenched his field.

It only lasted a nano-klik. Kaon shifted behind you, his paneling twisted as his embrace slid down your arms and held you in place. You grimaced, shuttering your optic as the transformation splayed your limbs apart. A flat surface pressed against your back and swept your legs off the ground. Everything was still… Slowly, you opened your optic only to spy that everyone in the room was in different states of trying to hold back their laughter. You attempted to stand up and get a better look at whatever contraption Kaon had transformed into, but restraints around your arms kept you locked in. It only took a quick glance down for you to realize what it was; biting your lip you did your best not to laugh.

“What the frag? You’re a slaggin’ _chair_, Kaon?! What do you even-” 

You knew the answer. Something moved behind you, touching against the top of your audial fin as you instinctively cocked your helm to the side to avoid it. You looked up, spying a steely helm cap that the mech was trying to maneuver on top of you. 

Adrenaline coursed through your spark. Frantically hunkered down, slamming your arms through the restraints and scraping your paint to escape it. You had pushed your frame down far enough that you could maneuver one of your legs to reach up and kick at it. 

“Don’t you dare!” You growled, delivering a sharp thwack to the cap that sent a numbing tickle of static down your leg.

“Ow, I wasn’t-” Kaon vocalized, letting the cuffs fall loose and ejecting you from the seat.

You yelped, but didn’t hit the ground. The mech hastily transformed back and caught you in his arms. He chuckled, petting your helm in his usual attempt to comfort you. It did nothing to soothe your momentary panic, and you put on a sour pout.

“- I wasn’t really going to do it.” He tried to restore your faith in him.

“Sure sure, you’ve zapped me enough as it is. Getting fried by a murder chair definitely isn’t on my to-do list. I think I need a little more high-grade after that.” You vented, scrambling from his arms and making your way back to the table.

Helex was more than happy to oblige in your request and topped up your glass with a brilliant blue neon brew. It was delicately sweet and nowhere near as strong as the dreg Vos had first given you. Just enough to keep the buzz going and dampen your processor so you didn’t pester poor Kaon about his alt-mode. A chair… You snickered to yourself at the thought. It was bizarre.

“It wasn't that bad, was it?” Kaon warbled, drowning in embarrassment as he sat next to you.

His servos fumbled nervously across the table, seeking any drink he could wrap his digits around. Kaon's cup had been empty for quite some time before he indulged in another round.

"Well, I don't know if it was _bad_. You transformed back so quickly I didn't really get to see it. For a chair, you're not very comfy though…" You murmured between sips, coming off more brash than intended.

You regretted saying that as soon as you heard Kaon pour himself yet another glass. He chugged back the two servings of high-grade far too quickly to ease his shame. 

"I can find a seat cushion, if you'd like." Kaon beamed sarcastically over the distress in his voice.

He didn't think it was funny. 

\--

Kaon was a mess as the party went their separate ways for the night. The last glasses of high-grade had taken their toll on the self-proclaimed lightweight. He tightly held onto your servo and allowed you to lead the way back to the habsuite. Kaon kept tripping over your pedes, nearly knocking you over on several occasions. Frustrated sparkles of static sputtered from his coils. Kaon’s clumsy frame had betrayed his relative cognitive clarity. Walking over some uneven flooring, he clipped your heels again.

"Kaon, you only had three drinks. How are you this fragged up?" You chuckled to mask your annoyance.

"I wouldn't say I'm fragged up. High-grade just..." Kaon paused, flushing with embarrassment and blinking his hollows "... Makes it very difficult to see anything. I definitely overdid it tonight."

“I figured something was up.” You smiled, adjusting your grip on his servo.

“Y-you did? Was it that obvious?” Kaon sighed, disappointed in himself.

“Definitely… Are we flying blind now? You keep stepping on me. I might need fresh paint on my heels after this.” You chuckled trying to make light of the situation.

“Sorry.. Completely in the dark now. I don’t know why it happens but ah ha ha ha… High-grade utterly disables my ability to produce electricity. Just a little static! No visual radar, no nothing. I wouldn’t have been able to zap you earlier, even if I wanted to.” He babbled endlessly as you continued the long walk back to the habsuite.

After what felt like cycles, you finally made it. You dragged Kaon along into the habsuite. The sudden intrusion roused the mech’s turbofox, who had been recharging on the sofa in your absence. His audials perked up as his crimson optics glowed warmly in the dim light dappling the room. The impending growl turned into a cheerful yip once he realized who had entered; the intruders were familiar and presented no danger. Rather than bounding to greet his master, the pet curled up and resume sleeping.

“I guess you can’t crash on the couch tonight… How do you feel about tackling some stairs?” You taunted.

“Tsk tsk. I know my room well enough that I can navigate by myself.” Kaon laughed, tearing his servo away from you.

You stood back and watched in humorous horror as the drunken mech traversed the inky room. At first, Kaon moved forward slowly with the grace of a lumbering titan. Suddenly, he clambered up the stairs to the loft at a breakneck speed that struck fear into your spark. Now was not the time to be showing off! You tailed after him but it was too late. 

A loud thud preceded a groan, then a shameful bout of laughter erupted through the quiet room. Upon reaching the top of the stairs you found Kaon flat on the floor. He was too busy chuckling to push himself up after his fall. Reluctantly you bent down to help the larger mech back onto his pedes.

“I could have swore there was one more step.” Kaon bluffed, blindly missing your servo as he stood back up.

The berth wasn’t hard to find. Kaon flopped down with an exasperated sigh, nestling against the headrest before shifting to lie on his back. With his hollows half shuttered, recharge wasn’t far off. A contented, tipsy, blush brought some color to his pale cheek plates as his frame was blanketed in cozy starlight. You smiled and went to join him. 

Rather than laying beside the mech, you draped your thighs over his lap. Kaon flinched at your unexpected positioning and sat upright. His face grew nearly as red as his paint job while his servos searched for your frame. You locked digits and leaned up against his chest plating, delighting in the sensation of finally being able to hold someone.

“You know, you’re far more comfy to sit on like this.” You smirked, poking fun at the mech’s ridiculous alt-mode; it’d be awhile before you’d be able to take it seriously.

“The alt isn’t really designed for comfort, my dear.” He squeaked out a nervous chuckle “You’re still fine with me, even after knowing  _ that _ ?”

“Pffft! Don’t be stupid. It doesn’t change a thing. I’m just glad I don’t need to go on a hunt to unravel the mystery anymore.” You reassured tenderly, tilting up to smooch Kaon’s cheek.

“Well, you’re still more than welcome to tag along.” Kaon offered with a dark grin, moving his arms to hold you in a comfortable hug.

“Heh, I think I’ll pass.” You replied without a thought.

Returning Kaon's embrace, you admired his curves. The odd assortment of alt-mode kibble he wore like a backpack made him seem bulkier than he really was. Eagerly, you snuck your servos into the gaps between his plating. You didn't want to let him go. Your processor raced with curiosity, daring you to explore the rest of Kaon's frame. Your optic was drawn to the odd, once dangerous, voltaic coils on his shoulders that were rendered inoperable from his drunken state.

"Can I touch?" You thought out loud, giving little context to your motivations.

"Hmm? Go ahead." Kaon replied, his field sparking with lurid intrigue.

Cautiously, you reached out to hold them. The spheres were incredibly smooth and emanated a gentle warmth. You had expected Kaon to be disappointed in your area of exploration but he gasped softly at your intrusion and wore a painfully bashful expression. You smirked deviously at your discovery, running a digit down the rings of his sensitive coils. Kaon whimpered but made no attempt to stop you; taking pleasure in the tenderness of your digits. Feeble sparks sputtered around your invasive servos, lapping like tiny tickles against your palms. 

You had never seen him like this before. Kaon was sheepish and vulnerable. The collar around your neck no longer carried a sense of shame as your 'master' submitted and hungered for your attention. You had power for the first time since arriving aboard the ship.

"Ahhhh- S-stop! They're a bit sensitive…" Kaon begged before he allowed himself to get too carried away. 

His pleading broke off your power trip. Shyly, you retreated.

"Sorry." You apologized under your vents.

Kaon chuckled and pulled you on top of him as he laid down. Rolling on his side, he cradled your frame against his; gently stroking a servo down your back. You blushed, arching against his touch.

"No reason to be sorry… Just save your curiosity for a night when my processor isn't fogged with high-grade. I'd like to be able to actually _see_ you." Kaon sighed happily against your helm.

His words buzzed luxuriously in your processor, making your spark flutter. You snuggled close, relaxing in the safety of Kaon's arms and allowing yourself to slip into recharge. You'd be happy to explore another night.


	15. Tethers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A leisurely detour starts off pleasantly but soon goes awry as idle time leads to potentially grim discoveries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead? Ish? Feeling a bit better now so I'll try to keep things on a monthly update schedule from here on out. Thank you for reading my terrible garbage. TwT'
> 
> Chapter Warnings: None

It was rare that the Peaceful Tyranny ever stayed planet side for long, especially when there was no hunt set in motion. The ship had made landfall on a far-flung colony, under the guise of resupplying despite having enough stores to voyage for another month. Tarn didn't want to say it, but it was obvious he intended for the crew to take a minor break.

Everyone was eager for the opportunity to spend a few solar cycles away from the ship. Everyone except for Kaon. The electric mech had insisted on staying aboard to mull over the list. Even after Tesarus pried the pet away, he refused to leave and by association you were stuck with him. His work ethic was insufferable; only broken by your insistent begging coupled with your refusal to move your aft from the communications console's keyboard. Eventually, you reached a compromise.

The fresh atmosphere of the planet enveloped you in a burst of energy. Happily, you reveled in the warm glow from the odd purple sun that peeked through the cloud cover and blanketed in the colony in an exotic neon. It was a beautiful sight, but your sensitive optic struggled to adjust to the lighting. Momentarily you pondered if Kaon was aware of the bizarre illumination, but he paid no mind to it.

His attention focused entirely on the data pad he carried. Idly, he thumbed through a maze of text that was continuously populated, and edited, via a wired connection from his wrist. Kaon’s other servo tightly held onto the reins of your leash. A mischievous smirk curled his lips whenever he tugged on it, ensuring you didn’t stray too far from him. The requirement was embarrassing, but he had refused to leave the ship without the pretense of taking you for a walk. It was a sacrifice you were willing to make…

…Or at least you were until you left the safety of the spaceship dock. Beyond the pier was a sprawling settlement, teeming with an assortment of Cybertronians and not a single organic in sight. Kaon sighed with relief and his mood instantly lightened. The mech strode faster, his field burned curiously as he dragged you forward. Your pedes barely budged; actuators frozen with anxiety. You squeaked from the pressure on the collar and stumbled towards Kaon, drawing the optics of onlookers. Passerby’s muttered commentary in whispers just out of reach of your audials; daring not to spew vitriol in the presence of the DJD. Even under normal circumstances the two of you would have failed to blend into the crowd, let alone with you tied to him like a perverse plaything. The embarrassment gnawing at your spark made you feel weak. You should have just stayed on the ship.

“Is something wrong, my dear? You said you wanted to go for a walk.” Kaon teased at your insecurities, pulling you to his side.

“You know exactly what’s wrong! There’s so many people here... I-” You choked up, realizing the mech had turned back to his tablet.

Grumbling, you swiped the data pad from his servo. Kaon winced, shooting you a hollow glare as he flicked the severed connector on his wrist. Safely, you tucked the tablet under your arm. If you had to wear the stupid leash, you wouldn’t allow Kaon to work while he was on break. The mech tried to grab the device back, but you kept it secure. You swatted him off and turned away with a grumpy growl; narrowing your optic as you glanced back at him.

Kaon’s annoyance was short-lived. He even let out a small chuckle at your antics and patted your helm.

“We could go back to the ship if you’re that bothered.” He gave you the option.

“Nope! I will not be cooped up on the ship for the entire weekend when the rest of the crew is out having fun. You need to learn to take a break.” You sighed, walking ahead of the mech.

You didn’t have the slightest idea where you were going, but Kaon seemed eager to let you lead the way. You wandered deeper into the town, coming across a bustling street lined with a bewildering assortment of vendors. Neon lights painted the district in a colorful kaleidoscope that instantly caught the attention of some primitive part of your processor. You wandered forward in giddy excitement as you struggled to make sense of what you were looking at. There was far too much to take in.

Muffled snickering broke the magic of the scenery. Humiliation suffocated you. Nervously, you scanned the area to find the source of your judgement. It came from a trine of gangly fliers, who were already departing, but their optics remained glued on you. You balled your servo into a tight fist and held back on the urge to confront them; knowing you wouldn’t have the courage to carry it out any way. Tethered to Kaon, you were a sick joke of a service animal leading the blind mech around.

“Hmmm…” Kaon sighed, draping his arm over your shoulder as he leaned down to whisper “If you’re feeling adventurous, you can go ask their names and I’ll add them to  _ the list _ .”

Kaon’s offer sent a shiver up your spinal strut. It was petty and unwarranted, but briefly you considered it. The mech smiled at the momentary flare of vengeance that devoured your sheepish field.

“N-no. It’s fine. Besides, I’m sure you’re not allowed to add people to the list just because they _ looked _ at you the wrong way.” You sighed heavily.

He chuckled at your conclusion, not offering any commentary on the matter. You didn’t want to know the answer.

Venting deeply, you shuffled out from underneath Kaon’s arm and stood in front of the mech. Your expression soured into a cutesy pout as you reached a servo to tug on the line of the leash.

“If you took this off, there’d be fewer people staring.” You pleaded.

Kaon smiled warmly and nodded in agreement at the idea.

“Well?” You grew impatient when he did not try to sever the tie.

“Well, what?” Kaon echoed back coyly “I don’t want you to be miserable, but for as much as you complain about your little leash don’t try to remove it often.”

Your spark froze as your cheek plates flushed with a sickening heat. You stammered and failed to vocalize a coherent thought. Kaon was right. You had only tried to take it off in a panic the first time he put it on you, but there were no subsequent attempts.

“You have two working servos now, my dear. Though, as I've told you before, you could have easily taken it off with just one.” Kaon grinned, reaching for the clasps on your collar.

With a single flick of the slider, you were untethered. That was all it took. The only thing that had kept you tied was the notion you did not have the ability to free yourself. You felt pathetic.

Kaon tried to lighten the mood, planting a soft kiss atop your helm, but it only made you more flustered.

“Next time you’re that embarrassed, I want _ you _ to take it off. Okay?” His voice carried a soft reassurance that eased your frazzled processor.

You mumbled under your vents as your processor took a few nanokliks to catch up with what had just happened. A ping chimed up from your comms line at the same moment Kaon placed his servos on your shoulders. You twitched in surprise as the world around you came crashing back into your consciousness.

"You look pretty worn out. Was it really that bad? If it'd help, you can take a brief break from me too.” Kaon smiled kindly.

“W-wa-wait. What?” You gasped.

Surely you were losing it. You must have misheard him... Your processor lagged as you tried to make sense of what the mech had said.

Kaon’s digits gently maneuvered to the inside of your collar, deactivating the proximity shock and dimming the lights that lined the band. Part of you feared that you could turn it off yourself this whole time. You gulped and didn’t bother dwelling on it; there were far more pressing concerns at hand.

"I don't think you've had any time to yourself for the better half of a stellar cycle." Kaon pondered, recounting how long you had been acquainted with him. "You're wonderful company, but I'd be dreadfully upset if you got bored with me."

You nodded quietly, unsure of what to say to the mech. To distract yourself, you checked the comms message from earlier. Your optic widened with surprise; Kaon had transferred money to you. The amount seemed ungodly high, he must have added an extra zero in error. Five thousand shanix was far too much.

"You're not boring at all but I- um think you gave me too mu-"

"Nonsense!" Kaon cut you off "Just enjoy yourself and don't spend it all in one place. We can meet back in a few cycles."

None of this felt right. It was rare for the clingy mech to offer you more than an ounce of freedom. There must have been an ulterior motive.

"You better not be doing this just to get away from me so you can run back to work!" You snapped, waggling the confiscated data pad at him as you jumped to the only logical conclusion.

The mech burst out into laughter. His chuckling was brief, albeit sincere. With a dismissive wave of his servo he turned to walk away from you, casting his sightless gaze back in your direction and smile coyly.

“Of course not! But I have something I’d like to attend to in private. Just message me if you need anything, okay?” Kaon bid you farewell.

You nodded and watched him try to disappear into the crowd. No one dared to come close to him and scattered as he approached. Evidently they were aware of his grim occupation.

\---

Independence was an odd sensation. You weaved between the masses in unbridled excitement. Without functional subspace pockets, your first impulse purchase was a bag to keep Kaon's data pad safe and stow away anything new you picked up on your adventure. The satchel was rather drab, forged with a dim olive fabric accented by steel trim and fasteners. Functionality won over fashion.

You didn't want to spend much of the mech's shanix on frivolous things and stayed on a modest path; only buying yourself a cheap can of energon to clench your thirst as you window shopped. Your processor wandered back to the tablet you were carrying. Kaon had been editing the list with it. The thought of what kind of information it carried filled you with dreadful curiosity. Why would he trust you with it? Let alone after sending you off on your own. It would be disastrous if it ended up in the wrong servos. Your own digits trembled as you retrieved it from the satchel and fired it up.

Kaon's prior login was still valid, putting the elusive list on full display for your prying optic. Your dumbfounded stare locked on the screen as it automatically adjusted the filter to display targets of the highest priority. Much to your surprise, a lot of prominent Decepticons had made the list.

"Hmmm? Starscream isn't on here. That's a shocker." You chuckled smugly, scrolling through the database of offenders.

There were thousands of bots waiting for their turn on death row at the discretion of the DJD. The further you looked, the pettier their crimes became… Your spark grew tight in your chest as grim intrigue compelled you to slide open the search bar. Quivering, you keyed in the first two letters of your name. The list reshuffled before you finished typing and sent you into a panic.

You didn't want to know. You really didn't want to know! With a sharp intake, you shoved the datapad back in the bag and bolted through the crowd. There was no reason to run, but it gave an outlet for the surge of adrenaline coursing through your lines. Your processor raced with irrational fears as you struggled to calm down. If you were on the list, you would have been dead by now, but no amount of reassurance helped.

After fearful minutes that wore on your frame like aching cycles, you came to an abrupt stop. Other bots in the market eyed your sprint with suspicion, but did not try to confront you. Keeling over, you vented deeply before erupting into nervous laughter.

You couldn't possibly be on the list… A ridiculous ploy flooded your thoughts as you regained composure; gently clutching the strap of your satchel while a soft smile warmed your expression. You were on good terms with most of the DJD, but buying an extra hint of affinity wouldn't hurt.

\---

Acquiring gifts for everyone was more difficult than you thought. Aside from a few packs of fancy energon goodies, the trinkets were chosen on a whim and with only a crude guess of what each bot would like. Even Kaon was impossible to figure out. You bought him a joke gift to soften the blow of how misguided the actual present was. You snickered at the thought, clutching a cushion between your arms since it wouldn't fit in your bag.

Your meagre shopping spree adhered to a strict budget, spending a little over one hundred shanix despite the exorbitant allowance Kaon had provided for you. Using the spare change you splurged and bought a simple accessory for yourself; cloaking your right optic hollow with a magnetic patch. It was plain steel and a little tacky. You didn't care. People stared at you less now that you weren't wandering around with a gaping hole in your face. The optic patch provided an immense confidence boost. You hummed happily to yourself, making your way back through the dwindling market crowds.

The vibrant lilac sky grew murky as dusk approached and blanketed the atmosphere in thick cloud cover. You looked up in confusion. You hadn't been out that long, but it confirmed your suspicions as many of the vendors closed up their shops for the day. You cringed and hastily checked your comm line. There were no messages from anyone. It didn't feel right.

A low growl of thunder heralded an encroaching storm. You cursed under your vents and desperately sped back to where Kaon had left you earlier in the day. Droplets of rain began to pitter against your frame. The only shelter in sight was a ragged awning overlooking a shuttered store front. Half of it was rotted away, there was hardly enough space to refuge from the downpour. With a sigh, you slunk back against the building to keep dry as the storm rolled in.

Weather was a concept that ceased to exist after being cooped up on a space faring vessel for so long. The gentle drone of the rain soothed your processor, lulling you into a false sense of comfort as you slumped to sit on the ground. No one was around. For the first time in a long while, you were utterly and completely alone. The realization felt like an icy scalpel driven straight through your spark and curdled the pit of your tank. You didn't want to be alone again.

[[Kaon, it started raining... I don't remember how to get back to the ship. You said you'd meet me back here, but I don't see you anywhere.]] Formulating the comms message prevented you from bursting into an incoherent ramble.

You sent it without hesitation and eagerly awaited his reply. Minutes passed, but no message came. That wasn't like him… Kaon always replied to you right away, even if he was busy. Your processor flooded with grim thoughts. Maybe something bad happened to him… Maybe he abandoned you. The latter idea made you ill, because it seemed the most plausible; he had given you more than enough shanix to live comfortably for a few months. No no no… You couldn't accept that. In desperation, you were about to send a plea to Helex's or Nickel's comm line until your own lit up with a ping.

[[The weather can be so unpleasant. Don't worry, I'll be there as soon as I can.]] Kaon's reply finally came.

Another notification chimed in, but the message was blank. You sighed with relief. The comms were probably just acting up. There was nothing to worry about. The rain came down harder, leaving you little dry space under the awning. You grumbled and brought your knees up against your chest plate; pinning the cushion you carried. It was a miserable position to be in and nothing could shake the bitter sting of the howling wind.

\---

'Soon' was half a cycle before you heard Kaon call out your name. Your audials instantly perked as the crimson mech drew closer, under the meagre shelter of a flimsy transparent umbrella. Without a thought, you ran and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"What the frag took you so long?" You complained, glowering up at him.

"I told you I was on the other end of town. You should have gone inside instead of waiting for me in the cold. It's not like my altmode would have gotten me here any faster." Kaon's voice was soft but drenched in self-deprecating humour that masked his worry.

"You sent me another message, but it was blank. I'm sorry- Heh, I probably should have found somewhere better to wait." You grinned.

"It's fine, I'm just glad you're al-"

A crash of lightning illuminated the darkness as thunder rocke dthe air. Kaon flinched and momentarily lost track of his words; pylons emitting a startled spark.

"I'm glad you're alright." He finished, blushing shyly at his reaction to the storm.

You let go of the mech and pressed against his side to stay under the cover of the umbrella.

"I never would have guessed that you're afraid of storms." You chuckled deviously.

"Ah… Not afraid! I just don't like them. There's a lot of electromagnetic interference when storms are this miserable. It makes it difficult for me to see." Kaon rationalized.

You only believed half of what the mech said. He was far too skittish from the weather.

"Do you think you'd get hurt if you got struck by lightning or would it supercharge you?" You prodded at his phobia one last time.

"Honestly, I wouldn't want to test those theories out." He laughed nervously and redirected the topic "You're probably cold from being out in the rain. I passed an interesting place on the way here, if you want somewhere to warm up."

"Hmm? The ship isn't too far away, is it?" You queried.

"Oh, we won't be back on the ship for a few solar cycles. I booked accommodations for everyone, but it's on the other end of town. Come, we'll get something nice for your tank." Kaon informed with a smile and reached for your servo.

His plating radiated with a comforting warmth that flustered your processor. You shyly averted your gaze, blushing as you intertwined digits. Quietly, Kaon led you away. There was no further exchange of words as the rain drowned out the sound of your pedes and echoed softly through your audials.

\---

A beacon of rosy light washed over the desolate grey landscape; emanating from a tiny window amongst a sea of shuttered storefronts. An inviting aroma permeated through the storm as you encroached on the establishment.

Kaon folded his umbrella and held the door open, ushering you ahead of him. A quaint cafe laid beyond the gateway. Eight little tables flooded the tiny area; filled with patrons lounging around. A service counter with a display case full of various kinds of energon lined the back wall. Even with your small frame, you could feel prickles of claustrophobia. Cautiously, you kept your wing folded tight against your back to avoid bumping into anyone.

A mech from behind the counter cracked a friendly grin and opened his mouth as if to speak a greeting, but no words fell from his lips. He completely froze up, optics cautiously locked in your direction. The once inviting aura of the cafe became tense as the flurry of chatter snapped into sickly silence.

You flinched as fretful EM fields crashed into you. A squeak crackled from your vocalizer and you glanced around in confusion. Everyone in the establishment was a Decepticon, yet they reacted like Autobots had just walked in.

"H-hello!" You nervously greeted the clerk; unsure of how to diffuse the situation.

The mech didn't respond. Kaon put a servo on your shoulder. You almost jumped from the sensation as the patrons in the cafe cringed and panicked on your behalf. Your optic grew wide as the realization hit you; Kaon terrified them.

"There's an empty table over there. Why don't you sit down and I'll get us something to drink." Kaon offered, oblivious to his intimidating presence.

You nodded and went to sit down, setting your belongings down on an empty chair. You deliberately sat with your back turned towards the rest of the patrons, but you feel their gaze boring into your frame. Their fields were a mix of dizzying emotions; fear, anger, and even pity.

Several tense minutes passed before Kaon returned to the table with drinks. His smile was genuine; untarnished by the grim emotions surrounding him.

"Kaon…" You spoke his name in a near whisper, cautiously cupping your servos around the toasty mug of energon he slid your way.

"Hmm?" He mumbled through a sip of his beverage.

"Do people normally act like this around you?" Your voice was barely audible.

"Hahaha!" Kaon's chuckle pierced the bitter atmosphere "Yes. Maybe I'm a bit scary? There's no reason to be afraid of me unless you're on the list, though."

"Doesn't that bother you?" You queried further.

"I'd rather not let things like that bother me. It'd be too tiring." Kaon remained positive.

You got quiet and focused your attention on the energon Kaon brought you. The warm fuel had a smooth layer of froth on the surface was peppered with sweet crystals in the shape of a Decepticon logo. Your first sip desecrated the artwork and washed your palate in a strong, but creamy, taste that highlighted the spicy notes.

You set the drink down, only to find Kaon's digit hovering dangerously close to your face. A soft smile curled your lips as he delicately traced the seam of the optic patch.

"Seems like you had some fun before the storm rolled in. What all did you get?" Kaon beamed curiously, casting his sightless gaze over to your bag.

"Ah. I-i didn't spend that much but I don't have subspace pockets and I wanted to get some small things for everyone. Haha, I even found something for Tarn." You laughed nervously, retrieving the satchel but leaving the cushion behind.

"You bought us gifts?" He seemed surprised.

"I'm sorry. I probably should have asked first but I- Um, I can give you the shanix back. There was too much. I didn't spend that-"

"There's no need to apologize, my dear. You were supposed to have a day to yourself, so I wasn't expecting that. It's thoughtful of you. I'm sure they'll all appreciate it." Kaon replied, patting your helm before he reached over to the seat you left the cushion on. "And don't worry about the shanix. You keep it for when you need it again."

Your spark nearly burst as he grabbed the gag gift. It was a stupid joke! You wanted to rip it out of his grasps but you were too terrified to move. The mech fluffed it between his servos, observing the textile with immense scrutiny. Composed of organic material, it was difficult for Kaon to see.

"You squished this on me earlier when I picked you up. What is this? A pillow? Is the berth not comfy enough for-" He paused, feeling the indentation of decorative buttons and ties along each corner "Oh… You did  _ not _ …"

You shrunk behind the table, scrunching as low in your seat as you could. Kaon didn't raise his voice, but his words radiated with a seething ire that had never been directed at you before. His expression soured into a bitter scowl as he dug into the seat cushion and glared at you; voltaic piles sparking dangerously. Some of the cafe patrons fled their seats in a panic, not wanting to be around when Kaon enacted retribution for your terrible sense of humour.

"I-i'm sorry it-it was a j-j-joke! I'm s-stupid! It's not that funny. I-i" You bawled pathetically, stirring up the grim scene.

"A joke? You thought this was funny?" The mech's words drove into you like daggers as his field iced over with malice.

"P-please I-" Your vocalizer warbled with static that drowned out your words.

Whimpering, you pressed your face against the table and meekly covered your helm with your servos. Violent tremors coursed through your entire frame. Your wingtip sharply clattered against a vacant table, but you couldn't stop yourself. Everything was quiet aside from a fuzzy hum of current that buzzed in your audials. You were too terrified to look.

A force smacked down across the upper curve of your back. You screamed but caught yourself midway through the agony. There was no pain… The motion was far more gentle than expected. It was the damned cushion!

Flushed with embarrassment, you glanced up from your cowardly curl to spy Kaon smiling; biting back on his lip to contain his laughter, but it was impossible.

"Hahaha! Oh, you're  _ precious _ !" Kaon cackled uncontrollably "You were so terrified! It's cute. Did you really think I'd be that mad over a chair cushion?"

"You're a bastard!" You grumbled, whipping the cushion back at the mech.

"Tsk, so rude. I'm just a bit of a bastard." Kaon snickered, catching the cushion and, ironically, setting it across his lap.

He shuffled in his seat, getting comfy as he finished his drink.

"Do you still have my data pad?" Kaon asked casually, seeking to change the subject.

"Ah ha. Of course! I didn't want it falling into the wrong servos." You replied, digging through your bag to pull out the tablet.

The moment you passed the data pad back, Kaon flashed it on. He gasped and smiled coyly after booting up and connecting to it.

"Ooo, that's brave. You looked yourself up on the list?" Kaon smirked, showing you the screen.

You cringed, wincing as he input the next letter of your name and the list adjusted accordingly.

"Aaaaa! No! I got scared! Stop!" You cried, trying to swat the tablet away from Kaon, but he cheekily shifted out of reach.

"Oh my, what's this?" Kaon exclaimed, turning the tablet away from your prying optic.

By now the cafe had completely emptied. Kaon spoke your name and designation out loud, followed by a string of words that increasingly stoked your anxiety.

"...Last seen stationed at a southern outpost on C-783; missing presumed killed in action. Known charges include, but not limited to: squadron desertion, theft of sensitive materials… Oooo, this is a pretty nasty one. Ahem! Betrayal of the Decepticon cause through cooperation with the Autobots and multiple instances of cowardice in the heat of battle. Priority: Low." Kaon concluded his reading.

You stuttered incoherently, incapable of forming words. The charges sounded far too close to your actual circumstances. Your tank churned violently as your frame burned with dizzying nausea. There was no way… He would have killed you by now if you were on the list.

"Ka-" You couldn't even say his name to beg for a swift death as your processor offlined from the stress.

It was cold. The sharp night wind prickled against your cheek plates as your frame bobbed in a casual stride despite your pedes remaining motionless. You opened your optic and coughed a meagre intake of air to jumpstart your systems. To your surprise, you were still alive.

Kaon gingerly carried you in his arms. He hummed soothingly, creating a soft melody intermingled with relaxing static. The mech stopped and smiled down at you the moment you stirred.

"I'm sorry. I took that a bit too far, didn't I?" His voice was gentle; EM field gleaming with concern drizzled in remorse.

You blinked, struggling to remember what had led to your current position. The fragger… A tiny grumble left your lips as the events in the cafe came flooding back. You gave Kaon a curt nod, but dared not to speak, knowing you'd only curse at him.

"The poor mech running that place thought I killed you. You should have seen the look on his face! In all my stellar cycles, I've never had anyone pass out over something like that. I apologize." Kaon spoke to himself.

"I'm… I'm not actually on the list, am I?" You finally gathered the courage to speak up, but your vocalizer could barely muster more than a squeak.

Kaon was painfully silent for a few nanokliks. Your spark nearly extinguished its self.

"Well, you'd have to take a look to know now wouldn't you?" Still the mech continued to tease you.

"Pfft! You'd have killed me by now if I was." You scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest and sticking your glossa out.

Kaon chuckled heartily, holding you tight but refusing to say anything else. His silence was disturbing, but his laughter was genuine and free of any ill intent. You weren't fond of his sense of humour and steeled yourself for the long weekend ahead.


	16. Excercises in Envy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cozy close to the evening ends up more eventful than you expected. Your patience is tested in the worst o ways.

The inn was an unfamiliar experience; a far cry from the drab, rainy settlement outside. All of your prior accommodations paled compared to the level of luxury that laid before you. Everything was a clean matte black. Dim rosy neon danced decadently off of the copper accents of the furniture, casting an aura of high-class menace.

You clung to Kaon’s arm, glancing around with nervous intrigue as he led you off to the suite. Momentarily your mind wandered to a heated thought; you were going to be alone for the weekend. A soft blush painted your cheeks. Quickly, you shook the idea from your buzzing processor before your EM field broadcast such feelings. It was only a moment of fleeting weakness, but Kaon picked up on it, smiling as he tightened his grip around your servo.

“It’s nice here, isn’t it?” He piped up with mindless small talk.

“It looks… Expensive.” You commented quietly, feeling like an unwelcome stranger in such a prestigious place.

“Relax. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to something nice once in a while… Tarn refused to stay anywhere else.” Kaon smirked at his superior’s extravagant tastes.

You weren’t surprised. Rolling your optic, you chuckled and pressed closer to the mech.

Shortly, you came across your accommodations. It was difficult to contain your excitement, but Kaon seemed hesitant to let you get in ahead of him as he opened the door. Maybe he set something up for you? You were intrigued until you remembered that all the mech’s prior surprises had been awful. Smirking, you wormed your nimble frame between Kaon and the gateway; claiming first place as you bolted into the room.

The lights turned on, albeit rather dim. Kaon’s turbofox leapt at the door. He wagged his tail happily and yipped out a greeting, but froze up the moment he caught sight of you. All of his joy was extinguished and replaced with confusion. Sparkeater cocked his helm to the side as concern flashed in his optics. A sense of sadness emanated from the creature as his audials drooped and he let out a soft whine, disturbed by your presence.

His odd reaction took you aback. With a gentle smile, you reached down to comfort the vulpine. His fur plating bristled as the once welcoming aura in the room twisted to become cold and hostile. A shiver shot up your spinal strut. You glanced away from the pet only to find a lithe figure rushing towards you from the shadows of the room. With a squeak, you deftly maneuvered to cower behind Kaon before they could get too close.

“ ҉̵̶̸̡ ̴̛͠͝ ͏͘̕͟ ̡̛͘ ̶͟͜ ̶͘͢ ͡͝ ͘ ̨͘͞͠ ̕͞ ̧҉̸͜ ̡̡ ̷̨̕ ̶̢̧̛͘ ҉̢͏͝ ̨̡̧͢ ̴̵̛͢͡ ̢̢͜ ̸̵̴͝͞ ̛ ̶̛ ̡̨ ̶͟͜͡ ̕͡ ̵̡͞͞ ̢̕?!?!” Vos spat venomously, halting at Kaon’s pedes and glowering up at the larger mech.

Why the frag was Vos in here!? You gritted your denta instinctively. You could only assume that he was watching over Sparkeater, but he was far more incensed than usual. Vos continued his incomprehensible cursing, but Kaon shielded you from the vitriol. He remained frighteningly calm, saying nothing as the rifle mech gradually fizzled out. 

“Why ̛͘͟ ̡͜͞ ̵̸̨͘͞ ͘͏͢͏ ̶͘͠͡ ͜ ̴̛͢ ̢͢͠ ̸ ͘ ͏̴ ̴̛͟ ̵͜͜ ̡͝ ̴̧̛̛͜ ̴͟ ͡͞͠ not leeeave?” Vos snickered, awkwardly craning his frame to peer around Kaon; optics narrowing into malicious slits.

“Leave? You’re the one in _our _room..” You huffed back at him.

“Ahaha! NO! ̶̴͢͝ ͏͡ ҉̴̨̧ ̧ ̶̕ ̶̶͘͞ ̵̧͡ ̨̕͠ ̸͘͟ ̡͟ ҉̕ ̴͘͢ ̷̷͡҉ ͏͘͘ ̸̛͝ ̶̷͝ n-not leave ̴͘ ̶͢͡͝ ̶̧̨... Not leave when had chance?” Vos sneered.

“ ̸̛͘ ̨͞ ͘͢ ̵̡͟ ̧̧͜ ̷͘͢͠ ̧͞͠ ̕͝ ̵̢͘ ̨̛͢ ͟ ͡ ̸҉͡ ̵̡ ̷͘ ̶͟͟ ̷̧͠ ҉̷͞ ̶͢ ̵͘͠ ͡!” It felt alien to hear Kaon snap back at him in that wretched tongue.

You didn’t need to be fluent in Primal Vernacular to understand what he said, Kaon’s reaction spoke for itself. All the negativity in the room pitted against your spark and rendered your vocalizer useless.

The spontaneous freedom and copious amount of spending money from earlier all made sense now. You weren’t supposed to be here. You discarded your only chance of escape and willfully returned to your captor under the hopeful assumption that he cared about you. Your sorrow burned into abysmal jealousy at how quickly Vos was allowed into such intimate quarters in your brief absence. You hated yourself for forging such a feeling, but your hatred of Vos outweighed your scorned spark.

“D-did you think I’d run away?” You stumbled over your words before grinning to hide your bitter emotions “I’d get put on the list if I did. I’m not that stupid.”

Surprise crossed Kaon’s face before a cautious smile soured his expression. He could hardly hide his dejection.

“No, but you had quite the opportunity, didn’t you? I’m glad the thought didn’t cross your processor.” Fragile static crackled through the mech’s voice.

His sorrow softened your anger. Biting your glossa, you almost felt bad for your prior snide remark.

“Why is Vos here, though? Couldn’t handle spending a few hours alone?” Jealousy laced each of your words.

“Someone had to watch Sparkeater. The poor little guy was quite restless after being stuck with Tess all day.” Kaon sighed with exasperated theatrics.

“Couldn’t you have just brought him with you when you came to get me?” You coyly poked holes in the mech’s pitiful excuse.

Kaon continued to smile awkwardly without giving you a definitive answer. Your field burned venomously. A pouty grimace puffed your flustered cheeks as you tried to hold back, but your wing tip flickered violently.

Laughter broke the tense aura of the room. Vos chuckled wildly at the implications of your accusation and nearly doubled over. A momentary smirk crossed Kaon’s lips. He reveled in your envy, EM field dancing in delight mingled with a debaucherous sense of victory. Your bitter jealousy blatantly broadcasted feelings you wished to have kept hidden.

“Ah, yes! Now that you’re here, I believe Vos still owes you something, doesn’t he?” Kaon queried, abruptly changing the subject.

The bitterness between Vos and you dissolved into confusion. Your optics briefly met, sharing the bewilderment from Kaon’s statement. Neither of you had the slightest idea of what he was talking about. 

The electric mech turned to Vos, scooping him up in a snug embrace that made your spark ignite with dismal envy. Vos purred happily at the attention and rubbed his cheek against Kaon’s chest. He held him in a way that made it impossible to return the hug. Kaon’s servo brushed the rifle mech’s face before securely holding it in place. His smile curved into a wicked smirk as his digits pried back the lids of Vos’ right optic.

It was now clear what Kaon had implied earlier. Vos flailed in a panic. Unable to break free from his captor, he went stiff and emitted an unnatural, droning, hiss.

“I would appreciate it if the two of you could get along, but we can’t be friends if you’re taking things from each other.” Vile delight danced off of Kaon’s words as he stepped closer to you “Why don’t you take back what he stole so we can start things off right?”

Darkness coursed through your processor. You had nearly forgotten how badly you wanted to make the rifle mech suffer for what he did. Sadism bled through your lines as thoughts of vengeance fogged your mind. Vos maimed you on a fickle impulse without reason. You hated him.

That hatred propelled you a few confident strides forward. You held out your servo, blunt digits tensed like claws, but you froze up mere inches from Vos’ face. A violent tremor wracked your frame. What the hell were you doing?

“ ̷̨̢͠ ̶̢̨͞ ͟͠ ̛͝ c-cowaaaard!” Vos snickered, provoking you to act on your violence.

Without emotion, your digits darted for the rifle mech’s helm. Vos let out a horrible piercing wince and tried to recoil, but there was no escape. No agony. No pain. There was only the gentle pressure of your servo resting atop his helm. Vos’ frame grew limp as you pet him with a cheesy grin.

“I already replaced my optic, I don’t need yours, but I would like an apology.” You spoke down at the mech.

You wanted to make him hurt, but there were ways of getting back at Vos that didn’t involve physical harm. Far better ways that'd strike more deeply than any wound to his frame.

Vos squirmed, flustered at your demeaning touch as Kaon held him still. After several clicks of grumbling, the wiry mech finally spoke.

“Sss-sorry.” Vos reluctantly apologized, averting his gaze in blatant insincerity.

Kaon let go of Vos’ helm and threw his arm over you. Effortlessly, he pulled your smaller frame in and held the two of you in a rough embrace. Vos’ faceplate was mere inches from your own. It was too close for comfort. You wanted to worm away, instead you met his gaze with a glare.

“How unexpected! It looks like we’re off to a wonderful start.” Kaon smirked and refused to loosen his hold.

There was only a moment of calm before Vos started squabbling. A low snarl rattled through his frame as he thrashed in Kaon’s grasp, nearly butting helms with you. Shuttering your optic, you felt your frame being dragged forward a few steps before Kaon set you down and continued to fuss around with Vos. The electric mech returned to you with a smile, and the clasp of a leash lead pinched between his digits. Vos wore a bitter scowl and pressed close to Kaon, unable to stray further than an arm’s length away; neck cables bound by the other end of the tether.

“Consider it another team building exercise.” Kaon chimed up happily, clipping the leash to your collar and subsequently tieing you to Vos.

Vos’ demeanor shifted instantly, pacified out of a desire to please Kaon. He stood beside you, with zero consideration for your personal space, and playfully rubbed his cheek against yours. Your plating shuddered; it felt perverse.

“ ̶͟ ̨͡ ̵̕͜͡͝ ̸̕͜͢͠ ͢͟ ͜͏̶͞ ͠͏̴ ͠͏͡sss for Kaon.” Vos purred happily.

“I’m not too fond of team building. I lost an optic the last time we did it. Remember?” You squeaked through the anxiety choking your EM field; Vos’ apology had done little to ease your spark.

“Vos not h-hurt ̷̢ ̡͟҉҉ ̴̵̡͠ ̸͏̸̨ ̵̴ ͏̕͢͞ . Be good this time. Already said s-s-sorry.” The rifle mech attempted to reassure you with another nuzzle before he stepped back and rested his servos on his hips.

A quiet sigh left your intake. His half-assed apology was hollow at best. You struggled to get away from Vos and snapped to the end of the leash. Freedom was far too tempting as your digits trembled over the ridge of your collar.

“If you two want to be _perverts_, I will not be a part of it.” You concluded, unhooking yourself from the rifle mech.

You barely took a step away. Kaon swiftly grabbed you by the collar, pulling you back towards Vos. The rifle mech’s optics glinted with confusion as his brow sloped in a hurt expression. 

“Perverts? Nothing of the sort, my dear. I know you’re not fond of sharing.” Kaon chuckled warmly, refastening your tether and patting your helm.

“Y-you told me I could take it off if I-“

“Tsk! This is entirely different. You can’t bond if you’re not close to each other. I just want the two of you to play nice.” Kaon hummed, trying to justify your deviant arrangements. “If you behave, you can take it off.”

  
  


Reluctantly, you trudged away from Kaon; tugging Vos along with you. Cautiously, you scanned the room. Imposing and radiating with decadent splendor, your gaze got lost amidst the ornate details. A massive window drew soft moonlight into the room, reflecting off an obsidian screen that overlooked a cozy set of sofas. Small boxes of goods lined the wall in various states of being unpacked; evidently you weren’t the only one who went shopping. Despite the room’s size, there was only a single berth. Your cheeks grew hot as your mind wandered to abhorrent thoughts.

Vos quietly creeped behind you like a shadow, watching your lethargic motions with curiosity. You discarded your bag near the coffee table and went straight for the berth. Its soft surface was a welcoming reprieve from all the day’s stress… At least until Vos flopped down beside you. You groaned and glanced over at him, only to meet his piercing serpentine gaze. The gremlin of a mech curled up in a grotesque organic manner, balling his wiry frame underneath himself as if he was getting ready to pounce.

You decided that recharging would be the quickest way to escape your ordeal. Shuffling around, you tried to get comfortable, but each movement made Vos stir and adjust his own position. His EM field bore into yours with an unrelenting blend of emotions that made you feel ill. You couldn’t shake it. Shutting your optic, the world disappeared. The room was quiet aside from the pet scurrying about and the droning hum that emanated from Kaon’s voltaic coils. They were safe and familiar sounds, lulling you into a sense of security that instantly shattered when Vos dared to snuggle up against you. He kept his servos to himself, but was far too close for comfort, slinking under your wing and nestling against your back.

“ ̷̢ ̡͟҉҉ ̴̵̡͠ ̸͏̸̨ ̵̴ ͏̕͢͞ recharge s-s-so early. Bor-ing!” He pouted in a hushed whisper, aggravated by how uneventful this session of team building had become.

“I’ve had a long day. I’m tired.” You yawned at Vos’ annoyance and made no attempt to get up.

Vos grumbled, but stayed put. His needled claws dug idly at the berth as his frustration mounted.

Click… Click. 

You had almost slipped into recharge and, in your groggy stupor, assumed Vos started tapping against your frame. The noise came again without sensation. 

Vos hissed, jolting upright and startling you. Your spark raced with panic; nearly jumping as his steely digits touched against your arm.

“ ̷ ̴͡͞ ͘͏ ̷̸͟͡ fffrag toy, l-look.” He beckoned and pointed.

“W-what’d you just call me?” You snapped at the insult, completely ignoring the rest of Vos’ words.

“Hmmm?” Kaon queried at the commotion from across the room.

He was sitting on the sofa in complete darkness. Only the ambient night light from outside and the dim cerulean glow of his datapad illuminated his frame. His digits clattered against the screen at a pace far from leisurely.

Suddenly, Vos’ field aligned with yours upon catching sight of the electric mech staying up and immersing himself in his duties. The annoyance was simultaneous. Kaon was glued to the damned thing and didn’t know how to take a break. The mech thought he could sneak some work while you slumbered.

“Are you really checking the list right now?” You snapped an accusation.

“Just briefly. I-“ Kaon couldn’t defend himself.

“K-kaaaon! ̨͟͜ ̨̛͘ ̸͏̸͟!” Vos scolded.

The rifle mech sprung from the berth at a tremendous speed, sending you tumbling as your shared leash whipped you forward. You tried to keep up with him, but his pedes were far swifter than yours. Letting out a sharp yelp, you clutched your collar to keep it from cutting your neck cables as it yanked your frame around at the mercy of Vos’ motion. 

It all happened so fast. Vos lunged over the table and jumped at Kaon, landing square on the surprised mech’s lap. Luck blessed you with a softer fate, inertia tossing you onto the sofa cushions beside him. Dazed, you watched Vos snipe the datapad out of Kaon’s servos and throw it onto the opposing recliner.

“Vos-“

“ ̷̕ ̸̕ ̡͟҉ ̸̸̸̧ need bb-break.” Vos cooed and pressed his frame against Kaon; tracing his digits through his seams.

He froze up upon Vos’ risque intrusion. The coils on Kaon’s shoulders emitted a startled crackle of electricity that momentarily dowsed the room in a flash of brilliant purple. The bright light lit up his face, revealing a surprised blush that added fuel to your jealousy. 

Frantically, you regained your composure and pushed your way onto the crimson mech’s lap. You disguised your malice under a painfully saccharine gesture and nudged your cheek against Vos’ face. To your surprise, the meagre show of affection worked. A flustered murmur left his vocalizer as he shuffled over slightly. Vos refused to leave his seat entirely and kept his legs spread over one of Kaon’s thighs while you occupied the other; crowding the poor mech’s lap.

“How am I supposed to take a break with the two of you ganging up on me?” Kaon chuckled nervously.

“ ̶͠͝ ̶͢ ̷ ͏̷ ͝͡͏͜͡ ̢̧̕͠҉ ̢̛͏̶ usss?” Vos’ chimed an incoherent suggestion.

He grabbed your servos, forcing you to strike a suggestive pose as you met his frame in the middle. Vos nuzzled you with a fondness that contradicted his normally spiteful demeanor. His affection rattled your spark.

“Ssshhh! Nothing like that, Vos.” Kaon dismissed his friend’s suggestion with timid grimace “This is quite alright though.”

Kaon hugged the both of you. He ran a servo down the back of your helm, soothing your tense frame with a gentle pet that only amplified your furious blush. You yearned to indulge yourself in his touch, but Vos’ presence ruined any intimacy. Nestling against Kaon’s chest plate, you steeled your nerves to pay no mind to the intrusive rifle mech.

You couldn’t keep your optic shut. Vos erupted in a cutesy purr, pecking Kaon’s cheek in a primitive attempt to kiss him without an intake. Kaon’s field ran cold. His instinctual revolt from Vos’ advancements delighted you.

“Vos, don’t…” Kaon warned softly, but his words were sharp with distress.

You got up in his face before he could push Vos away. Smirking deviously, you reached your digits under Kaon’s chin and tilted his helm to meet your gaze. His smile was weary, but he seemed relieved.

“Please don’t be mad at him. Vos is just upset that he can’t do this-“ You concluded with an awkward pause.

Your processor stumbled as you contemplated the outcome of your impending action. Finally, you mustered the courage to bring your trembling lips against Kaon’s cheek. His plating was pleasantly warm and tickled your face with soft prickles of static. The act lingered longer than you intended. You were too nervous to pull back. Vos’ glare stabbed viciously into your plating, making your circuits crawl. After what felt like cycles, Kaon chuckled and retreated from your kiss.

“You’re both being quite awful tonight.” He grinned shyly, amused by the rivalry he had deliberately stoked.

“You’re awful for letting us be awful.” You echoed back.

To your dismay, the kiss only compelled Vos to ramp up his lewd gestures. Vos clung to Kaon, gently pressing against him as he slid up his frame; wrapping his arms haphazardly around the mech’s shoulder coil. Vos ran a digit across the piles, eliciting a trailing crackle of static and glaring at you all the while.

Kaon couldn’t protest. You caught the poor electric mech off guard as you reached for the other coil. Nervously, you hugged it. Electricity nipped sharply against your frame. You refused to let go. The pain died down as the normal warm hum of Kaon’s frame fell silent. His cheeks were red with embarrassment as the two of you dared to touch such a sensitive place.

“Careful. I don’t want- “

“To hurt us?” You cut Kaon off, knowing he had shut down his visual field for your safety.

The absence of current invited further fondling. You should have been angry, but despite Vos’ efforts, he did little to entice Kaon. Vos’ caress was sharp and frantic; seeking only self-gratification. His desperation drove him to ignore Kaon’s needs. 

Mischievously, you continued your exploration at a far gentler pace. You planted a soft kiss at the tip of his coil before working your way back down Kaon’s frame. His field blossomed with warmth from your touch. Kaon fought back a contented sigh. Sneaking his servo around your back, Kaon traced your spinal strut. 

A sharp squeak erupted from your vocalizer as your field ran torrid from his touch. Kaon couldn’t enjoy his victory. Vos lit up with fury and squirmed under his arm, trying to tear the electric mech’s attention away from you. Vos was easy to ignore, your processor focused entirely on the curves of Kaon’s frame. Mesmerizing desire possessed your servos to venture lower. You circled the bio-lights on his waist, entranced by their heat. 

The need to aggravate Vos’ jealousy poisoned your lust. The lewd intrigue that seeped from Kaon’s field frazzled your processor, eroding any shyness and compelling you to discard your decency as you reached for his modesty plating. His panels felt hot against your servo.

Kaon flinched at your brazen move. 

“Ahh! Alright! That’s enough!” Kaon declared with a nervous chuckle, stopping the fun before the two of you could fluster him further.

Huffing, Kaon stood from his seat. Swiftly, Vos and you latched onto his shoulder coils again in a feeble attempt to keep him on the sofa. Your added weight did little to hinder him. He took a cautious step forward, but smacked his leg against the coffee table. Awkwardly, Kaon shuffled and tried to sidestep his blunder. His voltaic coils crackled for a nanoklik before lapsing into silence again. He couldn’t dowse the area to see with the two of you clinging to him. 

“This is a bit dangerous, don’t you think?” Kaon addressed no one in particular, testing his luck with another step before chuckling “Either I fry the both of you or you need to get off.”

“ ͢͢͞ ͏̸̧͢ ̷̷͠͠ ҉̷҉̛ ̷̛͢ ̸ ̷̡̕͟͟ ̡͜ go l-lleft!” Vos playfully directed.

You simpered at the predicament, but Kaon appeared to be fine with gamifying his impairment. He grinned and moved to the left, avoiding the other sofa in the habsuite.

“Oh? Where now?” Kaon played dumb and took a half turn before continuing left.

“Aaa! No, go right!” You squeaked and clung on tighter.

Kaon stopped a mere inch from colliding with the wall. You grimaced while Vos cackled hysterically before Kaon twisted to mislead you again. He wasn’t going to make this easy.

After a tumultuous trek to walk across the room, Kaon threw himself on the berth in a fit of laughter. It was contagious, and you struggled not to crack up.

“Okay now seriously, get off.” Kaon chuckled, struggling to lay back comfortably with the two of you still hanging off of him.

It only took one warning pinch of current to shake you. You grumbled and curled against Kaon, resting your helm on his chest. You forgot that the leash still fastened you to Vos.

“S-see ̸̧͘͘͟ ̷͜҉ ̶̢ ̡͝ ͟͠͞? Teaaam work!” Vos chimed up, making an odd but positive gesture with his digits.

He nestled on the other side of Kaon. Furious that Vos could stay, you wrapped an arm around the electric mech; laying claim to him. Shutting your weary optic was easy. The day had gone on far too long and your processor ached for a decent recharge. Despite Vos’ presence, having Kaon wedged between eased your worries and allowed you to drift off.

A ping on your comms line interrupted your feeble attempt at slumber. Kaon’s snug embrace evaporated your momentary anger.

||I never would have guessed you’d be the jealous type. It’s quite cute.|| Kaon instantly struck a chord.

||You let Vos crawl all over you. How could I not be?!|| You fired back a reply, holding your glossa to stifle your emotions.

||He tends to crawl all over everyone. You saw how Vos was when we were celebrating our hunt the other night, but I guess it got a little out of hand. I apologize.|| You barely had time to finish the message before another one rang through.

||But I’m utterly flattered that you care about me enough to feel that way.|| Absolute smugness radiated from Kaon’s message. 

You scoffed, refusing to reply to him; field awash with dreadful embarrassment. His last message made the entire ordeal feel like a ruse to play with your spark strings and twist you into a spiral of envy. You’d never own up to it, even though it was painfully obvious.

Needles grazed the plating on your wrist. You let out a squeak, but held your glossa mid yelp. It was only Vos. He squirmed in his recharge, sleepily reaching across Kaon’s frame. Instead of grasping the larger mech, his servo came to rest on your arm. There was no discretion as he held onto you. Vos desperately clung to your warmth. A profound sense of loneliness poured out of his field, drowning you in a dismal yearning for affection. Had Vos been any other mech, you might have felt sorry for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <<' Sorry for being slow again. My health has not been the best these few months.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: None


End file.
